Why singing is good for your body and mind
Singing is something we all do at some point in our lives – whether as a child at school, at important ceremonies or simply just for the joy of it. But is it something YOU should be doing more often to benefit your health? Well, studies suggest that belting out a tune and singing in a choir can enhance your mood, your immune system, your blood pressure, and reduce feelings of chronic pain. Some GPs in England are starting to prescribe singing for a range of conditions. In his podcast, Just One Thing, Dr Michael Mosley explores how and why belting out a tune could help your body and mind.
Getting high from singing
One of the most notable impacts of singing is the immediate boost in your mood. In his podcast, Michael Mosley reveals how singing may release ‘happy hormones’, such as dopamine and endorphins, to give you a true natural high.
Singing in a group, for as little as one hour, could boost your immune system.
There is also some research which suggests that singing could have similar effects to cannabis. Endocannabinoids are a newly discovered class of chemical compounds naturally found in the body and which have similar actions to the active component of the cannabis plant. One study involving a group of women over 50 found that singing in a choir increased levels of endocannabinoids in their blood by a whopping 42%!
Studies have also reported increases of oxytocin, a social bonding hormone, which may help explain why singing in a group is such a good ice-breaker. The natural high it gives you may also help with pain relief. Many people living with chronic pain report that regular singing means they need fewer painkillers to control their pain.
Singing and your immune system
One of the most surprising findings of recent research is that singing in a group, for as little as one hour, could boost your immune system. One 2004 study which compared the impact of singing with the effects of listening to music, found that those who sang produced higher levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody which acts as an important first line of defence for the immune system.
Dr Fancourt, who has led several studies looking at singing and the effects on our immune system, has found that just single sessions of singing in a choir can lead to reductions in chronic inflammation. Lower levels of inflammation improve our immune system’s capacity to respond to infections. It allows our immune system to dedicate greater resources to efficiently fighting off invaders. But that’s not the only thing. “This is really important,” Dr Fancourt explains, “because we know that inflammation is linked in with our mental health, for example, our depressive symptoms.”
Can singing really improve your mood, immune system and posture?
Michael Mosley asks Dr Daisy Fancourt.
Singing and mental health
Dr Fancourt’s research has revealed how singing can help people with mental health conditions. In one study involving women with postnatal depression, they found that women participating in singing programmes reduced their symptoms by 40% in just a few weeks.
Studies have shown that just five minutes of singing can have an effect.
Singing can have a myriad of profound psychological and biological effects. It can help build our self-confidence, reduce loneliness, and impact levels of anxiety, “and these all occur alongside things like decreases in blood pressure, decreases in muscle tension, decreases in heart rate, and the activation of reward pathways in the brain,” says Dr Fancourt. She says it has even led to things like improvements in lung function in people with lung disease, and even improvements in posture.
Some GPs in England are beginning to refer patients to join a choir for a range of mental health issues and other types of chronic conditions, as part of social prescribing schemes. “There are clinical commissioning groups around England already who've got choirs and other kinds of arts programmes set up in the community, where they're directly referring people with chronic pain, and the results coming back are fantastic,” says Dr Fancourt.
How long should you sing for?
Studies have shown that just five minutes of singing can have an effect. You might find that doing it at the same time every day is a good way of cementing it into your routine, and if you’d like to enhance the benefits even further, why not look into joining a live or virtual choir? It can provide social support, which is an excellent way to help stick to the habit and keep it up.
Singing is simple, it’s free and it has a wealth of benefits – from improving posture, lung function and blood pressure, to improving mood and reducing inflammation. And remember, even if you’ve always been told it’s not your thing, sing without shame – it’s just one thing where skill really doesn’t matter!
