Laughter, singing – what next?

I am always looking for easy, natural and simple ways to keep our minds and bodies healthy.

You may remember, some time ago I wrote about laughter and how it can definitely improve mind, body and soul. As we grow older, laughter becomes a rarity. Do you remember when you were a child and how you laughed until your stomach ached?

Perhaps you still have bouts of laughter like that, but more likely they are few and far between. Do you even smile much during the day? Experiment by keeping a smile and laughter diary for one week and then assess yourself – how sad are you?

Additionally, singing has long been regarded as good for the soul. It used to play a huge part in people’s lives, people sang while doing their chores.

Decades ago, gospel music was always found in the lives of black Americans; it kept them going when times were hard. Parents sing to their children – well, they used to. However, scientists are now finding that singing has measurable benefits for body and mind.

Studies suggest that both old and young people can benefit from singing, particularly as part of a group. In a survey of a university-based choral society, 87 per cent said they had benefited socially from their involvement in the choir, while 75 per cent benefited emotionally and 49 per cent spiritually.

In addition, 58 per cent agreed that they had also gained in some physical way, with improvements that included better lung function and breathing, less stress and a more positive mood (J. R. Soc. Promot. Health, 2001). If you think about it, singing is almost a cardiovascular exercise and will release the same type of hormones which will lift the mood.

In older people, group singing has been found to have a range of physical and psychological benefits. One study included 31 care home residents who were assigned to an hour’s singing session each week, over a period of four weeks, while a control group of 30 did not become involved.

The researchers found that the singing group showed significant improvements in measured anxiety and depression over the course of the study, compared with the control group (BMC Public Health, 2011).

Another study included healthy people aged 65 and over. They took part in weekly singing sessions and the positive effects included a higher rating of physical health, fewer doctor’s visits, fewer falls, less medication and better mental health (Gerontologist, 2006).

Social activity is vital to lift depression and keep people healthy and younger. Therefore, some could argue that the improvements were more to do with the social aspects rather than the actual singing.

However, singing involves relatively strong and fast inspirations, followed by extended, regulated expirations and can, therefore, improve respiratory muscle strength. What is more, when practised intensely, singing can lead to long lasting cardiovascular changes.

A study comparing professional and amateur singers assessed heart rate variability before and after singing lessons. Over the time period, heart rate variability increased significantly in the professional singers but not in the amateur group. This suggested that professional singers have a better cardio-physiological fitness. (Music Percept., 2010).

Singing also involves the brain function. Long-term practice has been associated with structural differences in the part of the brain that connects the auditory with the motor regions.

As a result of these studies, and others, singing has been used as a therapy for a range of common health problems. Parkinson’s disease is one of them, as voice and speech problems are common in patients affected by this disease.

A small study in the US found that after 12 to 14 sessions patients showed significant increases in speech intelligibility and vocal intensity. (Music Ther., 2001). Another study group included speech therapy with singing and as a result showed significant improvements in vowel phonation and reading out loud.

Another type of group helped by singing therapy is stroke patients. Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) involves making patients sing words and phrases and has helped patients with aphasia – a common complication of stroke and other brain injuries resulting in the loss of the ability to produce or understand language.

Those who have seen The King’s Speech may remember a similar singing therapy was utilised to combat King George’s stuttering, together with other exercises.

There is proof that other illnesses are helped by regular singing, including respiratory problems, high blood pressure, chronic pain sufferers and snoring. In various studies relating to these conditions, all participants recorded improvements in their various conditions after regular, exuberant singing.

There is no doubt, further in-depth studies need to be carried out. However, there is no denying the findings so far, which suggest that regular singing has benefits. In many cultures singing has been considered a powerful healing tool since ancient times, especially chanting.

Perhaps the more scientists delve into the benefits of this simple therapy, the more benefits they will find. Why not try it yourself? Start today.

kathryn@maltanet.net