Have you ever been sitting around and a popular sound lyric came to mind? If I say “You are my sunshine”, the next line, my only sunshine , may pop into your head, or you may think of The O’Jay’s song, You Are My Sunshine. Last week friends and I were sharing some wine, and somehow the subject came up about all the childhood rhymes and songs we used to sing as kids. We laughed and joked about them, recalling who we were hanging with and all the fun we had. We all knew the words to “The Little Tug Boat” song.
What we didn’t know then nor most of us know, is the fact that singing has multiple health benefits. Yes, singing is beneficial to your health, today I will share some of those with you. Singing affects our body chemistry by altering the hormones and neurotransmitters that improve our mood.
The stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol show up and out when we are under stress. Adrenaline, which can cause serious illness is reduced when we sing for pleasure. Cortisol, which regulates our metabolism and immune system also decreases with singing.
Another positive effect of singing is the increase in Dopamine, known as the “feel good” hormone. Singing along to your favorite song, especially if it gives you chills or goosebumps, is like taking a big dose of dopamine. It dramatically improves your mood. When driving long distances, I have specific song tracks of what I call, driving music, playing those makes the trip seem shorter.
Our pain and mood hormones, endorphins are released when we add dancing to our songs. Singing, dancing, and drumming all together release endorphins. Just listening to music, with low-level music activitiy is not enough to release endorphins. So, add some dancing as you sing along and increase your mood to a whole nother level. When cleaning the house, I put on my favorite track, and if a song I enjoy dancing to comes on, I pause to dance! The song I Hope You Dance, has deep meaning in more ways than one.
Immunoglobulin A (IgA), is our immune booster system which fights off sickness. The healthier your immune system, the better you can defend yourself from getting sick. A study that followed 10 solo singers over 10 weeks, showed an increase of 150% increase in IgA 12.
Singing along to a Mary J, Aretha, or Queen B song which all have long held-out notes, improves your lung capacity and increases heart function by reducing stress and increasing oxygen flow to all parts of your body. Certain types of breathing also increases antioxidants.
The hormonal benefits and regulation of breathing when singing improves your mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. Singing in groups, such as a choir is more pschologically satisfying than singing solo. People who sing together have a feeling of connecting others and feel happier because they are able to make that connection. No professional training needed.
How long and how much do you need to sing to get the full benefits? To get the best results put together a track that adds up to 14 minutes. Make sure that you sing along for at least 5 minutes and shake your booty with at least one song.
Songs that have a toe-tapping rhtymn are good to get you up and going, and be sure to choose a track with positive lyrics. A song that I often use is Turn It Up, by Cliff Dawson. If you can sit still listening to it, you got “issues”, LOL.
Put together a few tracks of your favorite tunes, sing and dance along for 14 minutes, or at a minimal 5 minutes, to feel happier, and get healthier!
Until next time,
Peace, Love, and Blessings❤️
