Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Music

Do you also celebrate World Music Day by listening to your favorite songs? Listening to music causes brain stimuli that directly influence mood, stress control, anxiety, or fatigue. That is why it is not uncommon for more and more hospitals to include music therapy among their treatments. Studies show that people who listen to music and keep playing instruments like guitars or keyboards as a hobby are more resistant to diseases and live longer. In this article, we will see the mental and physical health benefits of music. Let's dive deep!

Benefits of Music on Physical Health

1. Listening to our favorite music reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease

It has been seen that music can facilitate the recovery of patients suffering from heart problems. Regardless of the type of music you like, listening to it causes the production of endorphins in the brain, and these improve vascular health. It has also been proven that patients who have undergone cardiac surgery can decrease their levels of anxiety and pain thanks to music. With just listening to our favorite music for 30 minutes a day, our blood vessels will thank you, since patients who suffered from heart disease and exercised while listening to music showed more significant improvement than those who did not listen to any melody. This is because listening to music increases the production of nitric oxide, a substance that causes blood vessels to dilate and therefore improves circulation.

2. Lowers blood pressure

According to an investigation by the American Society of Hypertension, in New Orleans, listening to 30 minutes of classical, Celtic, or raga music every day can significantly reduce high blood pressure.

3. Improves Sleeping Habit

Stress and anxiety are the greatest enemies of sound and quality sleep. But we can listen to music to change this situation. It is best to listen to calm and cheerful music about 30 minutes before going to sleep, although if you can implement it throughout your day, it will be better.

4. Benefits to the immune system

Music therapy causes endorphins to be released; this act as natural analgesics. In fact, some studies show that music can reduce the pain of some chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis. It increases platelet production, stimulates lymphocytes, and cell protection against certain diseases. Also, listening to music can lower cortisol levels, which can lead to a decrease in the immune response. Scientists have seen that music can reduce the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, responsible for weakening our immune system. Remember that this weakening makes us more likely to suffer from heart problems, learning problems, low bone density, and increased blood pressure. According to studies, listening to 50 minutes of energy music increases the production of antibodies in our body. If you are one of those who do not listen to much music, it may be an excellent time to start. Try listening to new musical genres and analyze the reaction of your body.

5. Fight against headache

Thanks to its relaxing and de-stressing effect, music helps those who suffer from migraines or headaches.

6. Music therapy helps patients suffering from cancer

Although I must admit that during the race I never came to trust entirely in the so-called "music therapy" (since the term sounded a lot like homeopathy and I am a great skeptic), the truth is that with the passing of the practice weeks I discovered It has excellent reception and benefits. And apparently I am not the only one who noticed it, as it turns out that Shawna Grissom, director of the St. Jude Children Research Hospital, also states that music therapy achieves a better coping ability and greater resilience in adolescent patients with cancer (although in my hospital music therapy is offered at all ages).

Benefits of Music on Mental health

1. Listening to music reduces anxiety

Listening to known or favorite pieces of music reduced anxiety levels. I emphasize: known or favorite pieces of music. They did not have to be a specific style of music, as classical music is often thought of, but they had to be known to patients. Also, listening to your favorite song can help lower cortisol levels, the stress-related hormone.

2. Improves neural communication

It is an aid in cases of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Music is like a gym for the brain, as it increases neuronal communication, elasticity, and plasticity of the organ. Whether you have music training or listen to music, this will help us maintain a healthy brain in adulthood and old age. Listening to music is an exercise for the mind and, as such, helps keep it fit. Even people who already have some brain damage can partially or totally recover some memories, and neurological processes learned with the help of very rhythmic sounds or music.

3. Playing an instrument protects against brain aging

Music increases optimism and protects brain aging, especially for people suffering from depression processes. According to a study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, playing musical-instruments reduces the effects of mental deterioration associated with aging.

4. Powers Up Memory

When listening to music, several areas of the brain are activated, so information is better processed. Listening to music or playing an instrument makes it better learned. According to a study published by scientists at the University of Helsinki, Mozart's music activates both the right and the left part of the brain, which maximizes learning and information retention.

Other Benefits

1. Improvement of visual and verbal skills

Several studies agree that music can stimulate children's brains and help improve their communication skills, specifically visual and verbal. It has been identified that children participating in interactive music lessons: Gain more confidence. Your communication is much more efficient smile more his brain gives more sophisticated answers than in the average of children his age. In children, 4 to 6 years of age, music training that includes an understanding of rhythm, voice, and basic musical concepts also help to learn new words and understand them. Older children (between 8 and 11 years old) who take music classes have been shown to have a higher IQ than other children.

2. Singing in a group increases happiness

As we said before, music has the power to change our mood easily. It can make you feel joy, sad, emotional, calm, etc. When we listen to happy music, our brain starts the production of dopamine. This neurohormone is responsible for making us feel emotions such as happiness, emotion, fun, etc. Therefore, listening to music can make us as happy as eating a piece of chocolate, having sex, using certain drugs, or falling in love. On the other hand, if instead of listening to music, what we do is sing, doing it in a group is better. At least that is what a group of British researchers affirms, who studied 375 while singing in a choir, alone or in a sports team. In all the activities, he highlighted an increase in emotional well-being, but the people who participated in choirs reported greater happiness than those who sang alone. Exception: It has also been seen in researches that when we listen to music that is going at high speed, we get happy. Instead, slower music can make us feel nostalgic or sad. Take advantage of the health benefits of music.