Benefits Of Playing An Instrument
While many of us may already be aware of some of the health benefits when playing an instrument, many of us may not realize just how many benefits there truly are. While it may just feel like you’re simply strumming your guitar, blowing the reeds of your harmonica, or hitting the piano keys, you are actually unlocking a world of memory repairing, anxiety-reducing health benefits, and immune system boosting.
While many of us may already be aware of some of the health benefits when playing an instrument, many of us may not realize just how many benefits there truly are. While it may just feel like you’re simply strumming your guitar, blowing the reeds of your harmonica, or hitting the piano keys, you are actually unlocking a world of memory repairing, anxiety-reducing health benefits, and immune system boosting.
Memory
When you pick up your instrument and play music, you are actually giving every part of your brain a full workout, including parts you may not normally use as often. Different parts of your brain connect and talk in ways they never have before, but that is only the beginning of it. Studies have show that playing an instrument even has the ability to reverse brain damage.
In patients who have suffered a stroke, playing music can actually help improve and recover their memories, giving them back brain functionality. This art also has the ability to slow the onset Alzheimer’s and dementia in older adults as well by helping improve memory and sense of self. The effect of playing an instrument on the brain is incredibly impactful, and in a sense, is giving people their lives back too.
Anxiety
It is common that stress and anxiety haunt most of us these days. With long hours put into work, school, or whatever your craft may be, it can sometimes be hard to know how to help yourself calm down in times of stress. Studies have shown that listening to music can dramatically reduce anxiety levels even within the first few minutes. Playing your own music, however, reaches new heights. When you focus on playing an instrument, learning new muscle memories, and turn your energy towards something positive, it can help our minds to slow down.
Playing music helps our minds refocus on what is right in front of us, and in turn calms our bodies too. Focusing our energy on our music, letting it fill us up and bring us joy, is a productive way to reduce anxiety and stress, reduce our blood pressure, and slow down our heart rates.
Boosted Immune System
On top of all the amazing memory and anti-anxiety responses we have seen from the people that play an instrument regularly, we also see much more. One thing in particular that stands out, is playing an instruments response on our immune systems.
Whatever your instrument of choice may be, playing an instrument regularly every day actually leads to the production immunoglobulin-A in our bodies. When immunoglobulin-A is produced in our bodies, we are able to fight off viruses much more quickly and efficiently. Next time you are feeling sick, you may consider picking up your instrument of choice instead!
Bottom Line
Overall, choosing to pick up and learn a new instrument, or even master an old one, can have many positive impacts on our physical and mental health. It may not seem like you are doing much, but playing an instrument can improve your memory, reduce stress and anxiety, and boost our immune systems as well as much more. Music can also be extremely therapeutic by allowing us to express who we are through our art in our own unique way. Playing music is an incredible opportunity to not only create, but to do our physical and mental wellbeing’s a little favor too.
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Featured Image: Supplied by the author