Neurological researchers have found that listening to music triggers the release of several neurochemicals that play a role in brain function and mental health:. Although more research needs to be done to understand precisely how music can be used therapeutically to treat mental illness, some studies suggest that music therapy can improve the quality of life and social connectedness for people with schizophrenia.
A number of researchers have interviewed groups about why they listen to music. Study participants vary widely in terms of age, gender, and background, but they report strikingly similar reasons. One of the most common uses of music? It helps people regulate their emotions , researchers found. It has the power to change moods and help people process their feelings. Similar studies indicate that music blended with nature sounds help people feel less anxious.
Even people facing critical illness feel less anxiety after music therapy. One study indicated that the body releases less cortisol, a stress hormone, when people listen to music. This same study referenced previous research stating that music had little measurable effect on cortisol levels. A research review concluded that listening to music, particularly classical combined with jazz, had a positive effect on depression symptoms, especially when there were several listening sessions conducted by board certified music therapists.
Not into jazz or the classics? You may want to try a group percussion session instead. The same research review found that drum circles also had above-average benefits for people dealing with depression.
Music can make you want to move — and the benefits of dancing are well documented. Anyone who has ever rolled down car windows and turned up the radio knows that music can be energizing. In , researchers at Shanghai University found that relaxing music helped reduce fatigue and maintain muscle endurance when people were engaged in a repetitive task. Music therapy sessions also lessened fatigue in people receiving cancer treatments and raised the fatigue threshold for people engaged in demanding neuromuscular training, which leads us to the next big benefit.
Exercise enthusiasts have long known that music enhances their physical performance. A research review confirms that working out with music improves your mood, helps your body exercise more efficiently, and cuts down on your awareness of exertion. Working out with music also leads to longer workouts. In clinical settings, athletes who listened to high-intensity, fast music during warmups were motivated to perform better competitively.
Integrative medicine IM combines conventional medicine with complementary treatments. Learn more about IM here. Qigong may have benefits for mental and physical health, but the scientific evidence is limited. Learn about qigong's benefits here.
What is fire cider, and how do people make it? Read on to learn more about the natural remedy, including its potential health benefits and side…. Some people claim that armpit detox can benefit the immune system and even fight cancer. But what is an armpit detox, and is it necessary? Find out…. Progressive muscle relaxation PMR is a relaxation technique that involves a person gradually tensing and relaxing muscles one by one. The power of music: how it can benefit health Written by Honor Whiteman on November 19, Reducing pain and anxiety.
An effective stress reliever. Music and memory. Share on Pinterest Studies suggest music may aid memory recall for adults in the early stages of dementia. Helping recover brain injury, treat seizures. Music therapy should be utilized more in health care settings. Written by Honor Whiteman on November 19, Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes. Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Related Coverage.
What to know about integrative medicine IM. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. One of the most surprising psychological benefits of music is that it might be a helpful weight-loss tool. If you are trying to lose weight, listening to mellow music and dimming the lights might help you achieve your goals.
The researchers suggest that music and lighting help create a more relaxed setting. Since the participants were more relaxed and comfortable, they may have consumed their food more slowly and have been more aware of when they began to feel full.
You might try putting this into practice by playing soft music at home while you eat dinner. By creating a relaxing setting, you may be more likely to eat slowly and, therefore, feel fuller sooner. Lots of students enjoy listening to music while they study, but is that such a great idea? Some feel like listening to their favorite music as they study improves memory , while others contend that it simply serves as a pleasant distraction. Research suggests that it may help.
But it depends upon a variety of factors, including the type of music, the listener's enjoyment of that music, and even how musically well-trained the listener may be. In one study, musically naive students learned better when listening to positive music, possibly because these songs elicited more positive emotions without interfering with memory formation. However, musically trained students tended to perform better on learning tests when they listened to neutral music, possibly because this type of music was less distracting and easier to ignore.
If you tend to find yourself distracted by music, you may be better off learning in silence or with neutral tracks playing in the background.
Another study found that participants learning a new language showed improvement in their knowledge and abilities when they practiced singing new words and phrases versus just regular speaking or rhythmic speaking.
Research has shown that music can be very helpful in the management of pain. One study of fibromyalgia patients found that those who listened to music for just one hour a day experienced a significant reduction in pain compared to those in a control group. At the end of the four-week study period, participants who had listened to music each day experienced significant reductions in feelings of pain and depression.
Such results suggest that music therapy could be an important tool in the treatment of chronic pain. A review of research on the effects of music on pain management found that patients who listened to music before, during, or even after surgery experienced less pain and anxiety than those who did not listen to music.
While listening to music at any point in time was effective, the researchers noted that listening to music pre-surgery resulted in better outcomes. The review looked at data from more than 7, patients and found that music listeners also required less medication to manage their pain. There was also a slightly greater, though not statistically significant, improvement in pain management results when patients were allowed to select their own music. Insomnia is a serious problem that affects people of all age groups.
While there are many approaches to treating this problem, research has demonstrated that listening to relaxing classical music can be a safe, effective, and affordable remedy.
In a study looking at college students, participants listened to classical music, an audiobook, or nothing at all at bedtime for three weeks.
Researchers assessed sleep quality both before and after the intervention. The study found that participants who had listened to music had significantly better sleep quality than those who had listened to the audiobook or received no intervention.
There is a good reason why you find it easier to exercise while you listen to music. Researchers have found that listening to fast-paced music motivates people to work out harder. One experiment designed to investigate this effect tasked 12 healthy male students with cycling on a stationary bike at self-paced speeds.
On three different trials, the participants biked for 25 minutes at a time while listening to a playlist of six different popular songs of various tempos. Unknown to the listeners, the researchers made subtle differences to the music and then measured performance.
Speeding up the tracks resulted in increased performance in terms of distance covered, the speed of pedaling, and power exerted. Conversely, slowing down the music's tempo led to decreases in all of these variables. So if you are trying to stick to a workout routine, consider loading up a playlist filled with fast-paced tunes that will help boost your motivation and enjoyment of your exercise regimen.
Another of the science-backed benefits of music is that it just might make you happier. In one examination of the reasons why people listen to music, researchers discovered that music played an important role in relating arousal and mood.
Participants rated music's ability to help them achieve a better mood and become more self-aware as two of the most important functions of music. Another study found that intentionally trying to boost moods by listening to positive music could have an impact within two weeks. Participants were instructed to purposefully attempt to improve their mood by listening to positive music each day for two weeks. Other participants listened to music but were not directed to become happier intentionally.
When participants were later asked to describe their own levels of happiness, those who had intentionally tried to improve their moods reported feeling happier after just two weeks. Researchers have also found that music therapy can be a safe and effective treatment for a variety of disorders, including depression. One study found that music therapy was a safe, low-risk way to reduce depression and anxiety in patients suffering from neurological conditions such as dementia, stroke, and Parkinson's disease.
While music can certainly have an impact on mood, the type of music is also important. Classical and meditation music offer the greatest mood-boosting benefits, while heavy metal and techno music are ineffective and even detrimental.
Click below to listen now. Another important psychological benefit of music lies in its ability to boost performance.
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