Is Listening to Music Good For Your Health?
Whether
it is listening to Mozart in your car, dancing to tango, singing in a church
choir, or guitar lessons, most of us
enjoy some forms of music. There is no doubted that listening to a favorite
song can immediately put us in a good mood. But in addition to entertainment
purposes, researchers have discovered that music would do more than just
lifting the spirits. Here, we’ll show you 6 proven benefits of music to your
mental and physical health.
1. Improve workouts
Many
studies have shown that listening to music during a workout might lead to
better results in some ways. This is because music triggers the body to release
endorphins, which are natural “feeling good” hormones”. As a result, it helps
to improve our mood as well as motivate us to do exercises over a longer
period. More importantly, listening to a good song also distracts us from any
discomfort happening during the workout, thereby increasing the endurance and
boosting the overall mood.
Which
kind of music? The best kind of music for a workout should have high tempo and
high energy such as dance or hip-hop music.
2. Prevent back pain
It
is quite surprising that listening to music for approximately 30 minutes each
day for at least 10 days can be a good way to have a better sleep and prevent
back pain. As an essential part of emotional well-being, music might work on
our autonomic nervous area, which is responsible for regulating brain function,
heartbeat, and blood pressure, as well as the limbic system, which controls
emotions and feelings.
When
we hear a slow rhythm, our heartbeat and blood pressure slow down accordingly
to help us breathe slowly. As a result, it reduces muscle pressure in the back,
stomach, shoulders, and neck. In simpler words, we become angry, frustrated,
and frightened when we feel pain, which causes many muscle groups in our back
to tense up. By, listening to music regularly, our body can relax mentally and
physically, thus relieving and preventing back pain.
Which
kind of music? Slow and calm music is ideal for those people who sit all day
long in front of a computer screen and ergonomic keyboard. By
listening to some classical compositions by Beethoven or Mozart, they can
reduce the risks of back pain.
3. Help with memory loss
For
many patients who suffer from memory loss or post-traumatic amnesia, their
spoken languages have become meaningless. In these cases, music is the ultimate
solution to help them get in touch with the previous history mainly because the
brain area that processes music is basically located next to the memory part. A
recent research has shown that patients being exposed to taped or live music in
6 consecutive days show positive results in improving orientate and reducing
anxiety, compared to those who did not listen to music.
Which
kind of music? In the case of memory loss, people often respond best to their
favorite types of music.
4. Alleviate depression
As
said earlier, many experts have shown that music can slow down our heartbeat,
thus helping to relax as well as stimulate the brain area that is responsible
for sleep and emotional activities. Being soothed and alleviated in this way
makes our mind to relax the muscles and lead to deeper and evener breath. In
other words, music is useful for reducing the intensity of stress and anxiety.
Which
kind of music? Classical music is the best choice to help with depression and
anxiety.
5. Reduce stress and pain in childbirth
Expectant
moms suffering from the pains of child labor might find music very cathartic.
In general, a recent German study revealed that music is able to slow down the
respiratory rates of women in labor, thus decreasing their stress response and
relaxing the muscles to relieve pain. In some cases, music has even been found
to shorten the labor duration. This form of expression is said to relieve pain
inside the body and helps the muscles to relax.
Which
kind of music? Experts suggest new age or classical music to help women
overcome labor pain.
Ever
since we were babies in the womb of our mothers, music has been always playing
an essential role in our emotional and physical well-being. While it is one of
the most popular pastimes for many people, music can also bring many health
benefits that we hardly imagine such as preventing back pain, alleviating
memory loss, boosting workouts or helping with depression. For these reasons,
let’s sit on the couch and dance, relax, and sing along with your favorite
songs.