Feeling stressed or blue? Turn the music up and have a good sing. Singing exercises major muscle groups and increases oxygenated blood flow. Psychologically, singing allows you to express and release a range of emotions.
Contemporary physiological studies on the effects of group singing or vocal performance on levels of cortisol (a measure of stress) and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) (an endocrine defence against infection in the upper respiratory tract), have found that levels of sIgA significantly increase and cortisol levels reduce after group singing rehearsals, suggesting that participation in singing may enhance immune system functioning and even reduce stress.
For more information on music and singing for healing body, mind and soul, see my two articles on the topic (originally written for WellBeing magazine). Download both PDFs at my writing and editing website.
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