According to an old adage, music is the language of the soul. This could be because it has a profound effect on the body and mind.
Recent studies have suggested that music has the ability to heal. It has prompted a group of health enthusiasts to promote a new field of health care known as music therapy. This field is anchored on the belief that music has some healing benefits.
Some people who practice music therapy claim that it is able to help in the healing of cancer, the management of children with attention deficiency disorder and other diseases. Some hospitals are even adopting music as a means to alleviate depression, relax tense muscles, promote movement, and calm patients.
Here are five health benefits of music:
1. It helps to reduce stress
Recent studies suggest that music can reduce stress. Many illnesses are triggered by stress. By reducing stress, one can almost be certain that its negative impact on your health is reduced.
2. It helps to stimulate brain cells
Brain waves resound to the beat of music. Soft sounds like classical music make a person calm and put him a meditative state. On the other hand, fast music which is characterized by strong beats, awaken your brain cells and make you mentally alert.
3. It gives rhythm to your exercise
Engaging in physical exercise on a regular basis is one of the best ways to stay fit. But doing the same routine over and over can be boring. Lots of exercises like aerobics can be done to the rhythm of music. This will help to make your exercise seem like a dance that you will enjoy. There are also some workouts that you can do while listening to the sound of good music. This will help to eliminate boredom. It will also help to calm your mind and give you a sense of well-being.
4. It promotes sleep and rest
The calming effect of music on your mind helps to release stress and anxiety. Listening to music while you are in bed can give your mind a relaxing effect, and that effect induces you to sleep.
5. It helps to reduce pain
Music stimulates your brain to release endorphins. Endorphins are your body's natural pain and stress fighters.
Endorphins are also known as the "feel good" hormones because they make you feel good once these are secreted by the brain under specific circumstances. High levels of endorphins make you feel less pain. It also helps to reduce the negative effects of stress.
