Singing karaoke has become a worldwide phenomenon in the past few years and has proven its power among those who love music and want to get into the act by doing more than being just a mere spectator. The karaoke music has come a long way since its inception in the early 70s. The best part; it’s more about having fun than about singing really good and the beauty of it is that anyone can do it. Most of the music sensations are known to show up at karaoke shows and sing into the wee hours of the morning because it’s just so much fun!
Source: Peg It Board
However, besides being fun, taking the microphone and singing with all your energy and passion is very beneficial for your health as well. Karaoke, of Japanese origin, has become a social phenomenon of its kind in Asian countries and is one of the healthiest entertainments that there may exist. Some studies have shown that singing can even surpass the effects of yoga on your heart rate, breathing, and general well-being. Music makes people happy not only when they listen to it but also when they sing. Numerous studies suggest singing is the best therapy for being happy.
The possibilities karaoke offers are as endless as the playlists with the most popular karaoke songs of all time. It’s enough to choose your personal favorite and to unleash the singer you carry within. Because better or worse, more or less intonation, all people have the ability to sing because it’s part of human nature. The human voice is the most basic musical instrument. While everybody is a singer in his/her own world, some just sing better than others. Some are able to do this more naturally than others. Of course, you don’t have to be an opera singer or pop star to have fun with your own instrument.
Stimulate Brain Activity
Source: Common Ground Choir Academy
Singing requires thinking. When singing, you need to follow the lyrics, melody, and rhythm followed by the words that connect with the emotions. When singing a lot of air flows to the brain in the activity of neurons that integrate physical, emotional and psychological to feel excited.
Reduce Stress
Singing has been shown to be a helpful treatment for depression, anxiety, and fatigue. It relieves stress, providing with a pleasant feeling of well-being. When you normally sing, you breathe more deeply and at the time lower blood pressure and cardiovascular rhythm. When you’re happy, your stress level decreases automatically. Endorphins help reduce stress and anxiety.
Build Confidence
If public speaking is your worst nightmare, then you should start singing karaoke more often. You can start by singing in karaoke with friends and people who already know the drill. Doing karaoke is one of the best things to do which could hopefully kill your stage fear and make for an enjoyable experience. When you have dared to share the sound and music, it will be easier to overcome fear and groggy.
Improve Emotional Feelings
It helps to show emotions and feelings because it’s the most direct way of communicating with your audience. When selecting a song, you make the message yours and you express it according to your personality and style. It helps you to connect with your audience, thereby improving emotions and feelings along the process. You’ve heard it time and time again; “Put yourself into the song”, or “I want to feel it”. Songs are more than a string of notes. Add a little emotional factor into your singing and you’’’ heighten the experience for both you and your listeners.
Therapy for Stroke Patients
People who suffered from a stroke often had difficulty speaking. Using standard speech therapy could, however, be taught to adapt and allow them to get back their speaking ability. Today, doctors have found a great way to retrain the brain of stroke victims through singing. Following the discovery of melodic intonation therapy for stroke victims, many speech therapists have started experimenting with singing and music therapy, specifically, karaoke therapy, to help patients with speech impediments.
Improve Memory
Studies suggest that singing and listening to music improves mood, behavior, and memory in dementia patients. Ever notice how easier it is to rhyme words when you sing them rather than speak them? It’s because you’ve tapped into the pattern recognition power of the right side of the brain. Like memorizing other things, this will boost the level of acetylcholine, which is associated with memory in your brain. Music has shown to be a powerful memory retention tool and singing can boost your mood as well.
Oxidizing Blood
Singing increases the amount of oxygen you take into the body as you take deep breaths. Your body cells are fed oxygen to function better and create new energy for its owner. This produces a feeling of alertness as more oxygen gets to the brain. As you sing, you use facial expressions, so you improve muscle tone in the face, throat, neck and jaw, thereby promoting a youthful appearance.
Improve Motor Skills
As well as the fact that singing makes you feel good physically, learning to sing has great mental benefits too. Learning to sing songs improves your reading skills and your motor skills, by developing the coordination between your brain and your body. It’s an artistic activity but also a structured and disciplined one, especially when you sing with others. Singing also helps to calm negative mental chatter because it helps you focus more on the job of singing which stops you from dwelling on life’s issues and problems.
Spiritual Benefits
Singing is actually a form of meditation. When you sing, you shift your focus away from your usual life happenings and concerns, towards something positive. It’s a great way of bypassing your ego to acknowledge your soul. It’s also wonderful for relationships and connecting people spiritually and naturally. Singing creates some sort of positive energy inside the body that infectious and transparently good for everyone.
Help Breathe Better
Music and other creative activities can make you feel more positive and healthier. Studies suggest that singing regularly as part of a group is good for your general health and wellbeing, especially if you have a lung condition. Sing when you use the whole body to breathe with more ease. Diaphragm muscle will be curved downward, the lungs expand more fully. Abdominal muscles are more relaxed allowing the body to breathe better. Singing not only increases the strength of your voice but also reduces your feelings of being short of breath.
Take note of these health benefits and go ahe ad and sing your little heart out. It’s not just your mind that gets a boost as you do this; singing has been proven to biologically impact your body and boost health in other ways too. So get out there and sing!
