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Have you burst into song today? You should: singing is fun, good for your health and can relieve inner tension, experts say.
“Singing in the shower boosts self-confidence,” says Markus Henrik, a German author and musician who says science shows that sound reverberates in a shower, while the flow of water helps to relax you.
“Singing in the shower is good for you,” says Karl Hoermann, a German music psychologist and pianist. “It’s liberating. It doesn’t matter whether you hit the notes or not. Warbling a melody makes you breathe more deeply, which brings more oxygen into your body.”
A Swedish study has found that singing in a choir has a positive effect on your cardiovascular system. Your heartbeat starts to adjust to a song’s rhythm when you sing in a group, which stabilises your cardiac rhythm.

It is not only singing that is good for you, though. Playing an instrument or listening to music has a positive effect on health, too.
To reduce stress, Hoermann says you should “play an instrument for at least 15 minutes or listen to music to get into a flow”. The kind of music you choose is up to you and what you like best.
“Music affects us immediately,” says Henrik, adding that this is partly for evolutionary reasons. “In the past, people had to be able to distinguish sounds within a fraction of a second.”
Henrik says our ancestors had to ask themselves, “Was that a gust of wind that made the bush rustle, or is it a bear about to swat me with its paw?”
“Sounds are immediately evaluated in the brain,” he says. That is why, even when we hear songs on the radio, we can say right away, “Please turn that off”, or “Turn it up!”
“Music is the only drug that has no side effects,” he says.

Different kinds of music help in a range of ways.
You feel motivated by positive music, sad music makes you feel understood, and you feel less alone if you hear a sensitive voice singing.
“Someone is there for us. He or she is then also a representative and sings out our pain,” Henrik says.
Many people feel better after listening to music, which is an effect due to our hormones. If you listen to ballads, for example, the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin is released.
Music can do much more. Many people exercise while listening to songs to help them feel motivated, which can then affect their performance, says Hoermann.
Music can have a positive impact on your performance, especially in sports with a cyclical rhythm like jogging or cycling.

Music distracts you, puts you in a good mood and helps you focus on the environment, says German sports scientist Ingo Froboese. It can help you see training as less strenuous, which can improve performance.
However, do not overdo it, or you run the risk of having the effect of music wear off during training. Try having one session without music after every two sessions with it.
Music is often used in therapy, particularly to treat depression. Studies show that certain music and sounds can reduce the need for pain medication.
Try using music to improve your motivation, too.
“If you have a certain goal in mind, make a suitable playlist of songs or pieces of music. If you then have the impression that you need to remind yourself of your goal or need a motivational boost, listen to your playlist,” Henrik says.

Rhythm can help you even if you are not directly listening to music, Hoermann adds.
“A rhythm in triple time can often be easily integrated into everyday life,” he says. Use it when you go out shopping by mentally counting “one, two, three” to yourself.
Try different ways of integrating more music into your life, says Henrik. Listen to good radio stations, go to record shops and even pick up a musical instrument. Music is a blessing in every phase of life, even in retirement, he says.
So start singing when you are in the shower, Henrik concludes. “Actively warbling a little song once a day is also a good start!”
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Singing and listening to music have a whole host of benefits, from helping you to breathe deeply to stabilising your cardiac rhythm


Singing and listening to music have a whole host of benefits, from helping you to breathe deeply to stabilising your cardiac rhythm.


Mental health

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Music

Want to feel better? Just sing. Experts explain why music is good for your health

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Singing and listening to music have a whole host of benefits, from helping you to breathe deeply to stabilising your cardiac rhythm

Singing and listening to music have a whole host of benefits, from helping you to breathe deeply to stabilising your cardiac rhythm