The Unexpected Health Benefits Of Music
You might think that all music is good for is dancing and exercising to but it can have other benefits as well. In this article we take a look at how music can improve your overall health, wellbeing and sleep patterns.
Wasn’t it Shakespeare who said, “If music be the food of love, play on”? Wise words indeed, but there are endorsements for the nourishing qualities of music that predate the bard. No less a personage than Plato once said “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”. Music is enriching to our lives in many ways, but few of us realise just how much it can legitimately benefit our mental and physical health.
Music Aids Digestion
You may think that it’s an old wive’s tale but gentle background music genuinely does help to engage digestive enzymes. Whether it’s live music played in concert or streamed into our living room by your Amazon Echo there are benefits to bringing music into your life whether you’re working, exercising, dining or just settling into your favorite armchair to enjoy it on its own merits. Few restaurants around the world allow their diners to eat in silence. Indeed, jazz cafes and rock cafes that have made music an integral part of the dining experiences are proliferate all over the world. From burger bars with live music to cabaret theaters in New York, many establishments recognise the benefits of music when dining. Furthermore, it masks others’ gross chewing noises and can help facilitate quality conversation at the dinner table.
Music Reduces Stress And Anxiety
We give stress way too much of a free pass in our society. We’re expected to embrace stress as an inevitable consequence as a job well done but while stress can be a useful motivator, it can just as easily become crippling and have a detrimental effect on your health.
Stress can not only damage our health but push us to poor lifestyle choices. It can lead us to binge eat, smoke or drink excessively. If you’ve curbed smoking by switching to vaping with products from companies like E liquid UK this is a great first step, but music is a great and free method for reducing stress levels. When it comes to managing stress keep your music choices slow and low. This will reduce your body’s production of cortisol (which will help to prevent weight gain) and help your muscles to relax.
In fact, a study found that the stress relieving qualities of music were more powerful than the effect of an oral anxiolytic drug.
Music Improves Your Immune System
No kidding, music can even help to bolster your body’s immune response. Listening to music stimulates your body’s production of Immunoglobulin A which keeps cells healthy while its reduction of cortisol prevents the hormone from compromising the immune system. A 2007 study found that music helped to facilitate connections between the mind and body which was particularly helpful in patients undergoing physiotherapy who demonstrated increased immune function and endocrine parameters.
Aids Sleep And Improves Quality Of Sleep
There are few things more frustrating and damaging to overall health than an inability to get a good night’s sleep. Not only can the right choice of music help you to nod off, it can also drastically improve your quality of sleep. Listening to soothing classical music helps to quiet the mind and quell distracting thoughts while relaxing the muscles, so try and listen to 30-45 minutes of classical music before turning in for the night.
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