Sing Your Way To Better Health
Does Your Fitness Routine Include Singing?
Did your New Year
resolutions include joining a gym – again?
Is the thought of buying all that
keep fit gear, doing exercises or even the thought of actually going to the gym,
putting you off – again? Then consider
joining a choir instead.
Expert are lining
up to convince you that when it comes to giving you a top-to-toe tune up there’s
nothing better than a good sing-a-long.
For example, do you know how singing can reduce your stress levels or how good it is for your heart and lungs? And if being able to tone your upper body
and sorting out your posture wasn’t enough it’s also going to put a few extra years
on your life.
All this from the
humble past-time of singing?
Apparently so.
According to
Professor Graham Welch,
Chair of Music Education at the Institute of Education, University of London,
singing will give you a physical and psychological boost. For the past 30 years he’s studied the developmental
and medical aspects of singing.
And he states.
“Singing has
physical benefits because it is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation
in the blood stream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body, even
when sitting. Singing has psychological benefits because of its normally
positive effect in reducing stress levels through the action of the endocrine
system which is linked to our sense of emotional well-being.”
So singing is an
aerobic exercise. Well if you have no
desire to travel back to the 80s. Or if
you’ve never had a fondness for legwarmers, Lycra and fluorescent sweatbands,
then here’s a much cooler alternative. If only someone had told you sooner.
Group singing is
even better for you
Singing can even
help you live longer especially when you join forces with others. According to the findings of a joint Harvard
and Yale study choral singing increased the life expectancy of singers in New
Haven, Connecticut. The report concluded that this was because singing promoted
both a healthy heart and an enhanced mental state. Another study at the
University of California has reported higher levels of immune system proteins
in the saliva of choristers after performing a complex Beethoven masterwork.
That explains
what happen at a one of my voice workshops recently. One visitor had this to say about her
experience, “Who would think that breathing and singing exercises could be so
tiring, my muscles hurt from inside.” I did panic a bit here because I don’t
want to wear people out and put them off singing. I was pleased that her next words were, “Had
a lot of fun, thanks for great experience.” Phew!
Thank goodness
she got some of the psychologically benefits as well. She went on to say, “The breathing exercises, tuning into the moment (when
focusing where the sound vibrates), plus not feeling cautious how you sound
gave me such huge sense of freedom and being in the now. I think people like me who are constantly
busy would appreciate the opportunity to pause for the moment and sing their
heart out.” And finished by describing
the session as ‘Exercise for the soul. So
spiritual benefits too it seems. I’ll
have to look into this a bit more.
So sing..sing..sing.
If you don’t feel
ready for the choir thing, then start by singing along with your favourite
tunes. Doesn’t matter what you sound
like. The singing fairy doesn’t care. She’ll
bestow her blessing on you no matter what.
If you do want to
improve your voice then take a few lessons or join a choir that teaches you how
to sing. They don’t all do that apparently,
so make sure you ask before you join. And
remember the main point of all this is to have fun.
Give it a
go. I’d love to hear how you get on.
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