5 surprising health benefits of singing

Here’s why you should make the effort to sing a Christmas carol or two over the festive season.

If it’s been a while since your vocal chords got a workout, there’s no better time to turn that around than now, with everything from Silent Night to Mary’s Boy Child filling the airwaves.

It turns out, not only is singing an easy way to get into the spirit of the season, it’s genuinely good for your health and wellbeing.

The results of a review study by researchers at New Zealand’s University of Otago confirm singing has physical and psychological benefits both for people living with and without underlying health problems.

“Unlike more medical treatments, singing has no side effects and the health benefits of singing are backed up by well-established science,” says University of Otago Associate Professor Nicola Swain, who collaborated on the study with her son, master’s student Quinn Campbell.

“This review that Quinn did brings all this science together and shows that even a single session of singing can have measurable health benefits.”

So what, exactly, can you expect to enjoy just by singing your heart out? Here are five ways your health can benefit.

Singing can relieve stress

Research shows that levels of a stress hormone called cortisol are lower following a low-stress singing session, suggesting that people feel more relaxed as a result. Even better news is that singing works as a stress-relieving strategy regardless of whether you sing solo or as part of a group.

Singing can give you better pain tolerance

A UK study shows that compared to just passively listening to a song, making the effort to actually sing it triggers the release of endorphin hormones that make pain feel less, well, painful.

Singing can help your cognitive skills

According to the results of a study published in 2021, the longer people aged over 60 had been singing regularly as part of a group, the better their verbal flexibility.

Verbal flexibility reflects better cognitive flexibility, which is the ability to regulate and switch focus between different thought processes and is often one of the first brain functions to be impacted by dementia.

Dementia affects about 1 in 15 Australians aged 65 and over and is the second leading cause of death of Australians.

Singing can make you happier

Research released in 2017 made the connection between singing and improved mood, and a recent study by Australian National University researchers confirms it.

Participants living with dementia took part in a group singing program and after a few weeks, the results were impressive.

Wellbeing scores were up and symptoms of depression were down.

“It’s different to other music interventions – it’s not me standing in front singing at people; we sing together,” says ANU researcher and facilitator of the singing program that was studied, Dr Georgia Pike-Rowney.

“The study provided us with evidence of the impact of the music beyond its entertainment value – something we have always known anecdotally.”

Singing can improve your immune function

Join a group or a choir for a spot of singing and after just one hour of harmonising you’ll have an increased amount of cytokines floating around your body.

Cytokines are immune system proteins that can boost your body’s ability to fight illness.

Research also shows that your levels of immunoglobulin A will have risen, too.

Immunoglobulin A is an antibody blood protein that plays a key role in your body’s first line of defence against bacterial and viral upper respiratory infections.

Give singing a go

Feeling shy about letting your singing voice shine?

“If low confidence is an issue, then just sing with a group, the national anthem at a game or Happy Birthday to a friend. It all counts,” Assoc Prof Swain says.

Quinn agrees.

“The study strongly supports the message to just get out there and sing as your life will be better for it,” he says.

“Sing more, sing often, sing badly, sing in harmony and preferably sing together with friends, flatmates or a choir.”

To find a local choir, visit Choir Central and click on the Find a Choir link.

Written by Karen Fittall.

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