Sing Your Way to Health
Rod Lowry | Member, Wellness Committee, ARTA
Many things in life make me happy: a morning walk, helping others, reading a good book, or quietly gardening. Oxford Languages online defines joy as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness,” so joy is a step above just being happy. For me, joy is found when my children gather around and music fills the air. They sing and play the guitar — it’s marvellous!
Oxford Languages online defines joy as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness,” so joy is a step above just being happy. For me, joy is found when my children gather around and music fills the air. They sing and play the guitar — it’s marvellous!
Wouldn’t it be great if we could do something that gave us great joy and provided increased health benefits too? Well, I’ve got just the thing. It’s music, particularly the music we can make anywhere — singing.
From the days of my youth, music and singing have been a part of my life. I’ve sung in choirs, at school with my students, and in congregations. I’ve sung alone in my car or the shower. I’ve sung along with familiar tunes on the radio or the silly ditties I made up as I went along. It’s wonderful to discover that this long-term joy has also contributed to my well-being.
Ten Healthful Benefits of Singing
- Relieves stress
- Stimulates the immune response
- Increases pain threshold
- May improve snoring
- Improves lung function
- Develops a sense of belonging and connection
- Enhances memory in people with dementia
- Helps with grief
- Improves mental health and mood
- Helps improve speaking abilities
Let’s look closer at my top three healthful reasons for singing.
First, singing helps reduce our stress levels. When I find myself feeling down, I often discover I’m humming aloud. The scientific explanation is hormone levels. Cortisol and endorphins are hormones produced by the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and a 2017 study from Goethe University in Germany showed that cortisol levels drops when one sings alone or in a group. Lowering your cortisol level also lowers your stress level. Endorphins, on the other hand, are produced when we sing, and these feel-good hormones can lower pain.
Second, singing develops a sense of belonging and connection. My mother-in-law, now in her late 80s, finds loneliness to be one of her greatest challenges. I’m sure this is true for many. Just like participating in team sports, singing in groups develops a sense of camaraderie — a connectedness to the group. Researchers in the United Kingdom discovered that a “combination of singing and social engagement produced an ongoing feeling of belonging and well-being." Join a group and sing your way to better health. According to Healthline.com, “Spontaneous, improvised singing causes your body to release this feel-good hormone [oxytocin], which may help give you a heightened sense of connectedness and inclusion.”
Third, the German study I mentioned found that singing may stimulate the immune response and possibly reduce pain. Who wouldn’t want to fend off illness and pain? Immunoglobulin A is an antibody secreted by your body, and higher levels of immunoglobulin A are found when one sings out loud.
So, if you want to feel connected to others, have less stress in your life, or have a stronger immune system, sing your way home at the end of the day. It may improve your well-being and overall health.
Sing Your Way to Better Health
- Take a drive or walk, listening to music and singing along.
- Don’t be embarrassed to sing in the shower.
- Sing with your grandchildren and make lasting memories.
- Join a choir or chorus in your community.
Rod Lowry
Member, Wellness Committee, ARTA