How Music Influences Your Heart, Brain and Health
In Malaysia, there is a tourist bus that offers live music to entertain the tourists and passengers. Music is indeed entertaining if you put your heart to it. Busses that offer live music are not yet offered here in Singapore. Well, maybe in the not-so-distant future.
You do not need to ride in a tourist bus to appreciate music. Music is everywhere and you can access it anytime. Music is a big part of our lives – it can influence your heart, brain and health. Here’s how music can influence your heart, brain and health:
- Improves verbal and visual skills: Music at an early age can stimulate your child’s brain by improving verbal and visual skills. There is a study that showed children who were exposed to music early increased their ability to understand words and describe its meanings.
- Keeps brain healthy: When you listen to music, your brain is like exercising. If your brain gets exercise, you will have better memory plus mental sharpness. You will keep your brain from aging.
- Music can make you happy: For music lovers out there, there is no doubt that music makes you happier. Music has the power to do great things. When you listen to music, your body secretes dopamine which is a feel-good chemical.
- It can improve heartbeat, blood pressure and pulse rate: According to the observations of Massachusetts General Hospital found that patients with heart diseases have improved vascular health by simply listening to music.
- It can improve sleep quality: When you listen to music, it has a magical thing that can put you to sleep. Stress and anxiety interfere with sleep but music can affect you positively.
- It can boost immune system plus reduces pain: You have to know that cortisol – a stress hormone, can weaken the immune system which will increase the risk of heart disease. Listening to music for at least fifty minutes can uplift the immune system.
- It can decrease feelings of anxiety and depression: There is a study in Drexel University. The researchers found that listening to music can reduce anxiety and can improve mood. In other words, it can have a positive effect on your psyche.
There you go. Music can do a lot of things in your life. It may sound simple and plain but it can influence you big time. So, if you have spare time, you can just sit around and listen to some good music. The genre will not matter as long as you are enjoying it.