Groov’n to the sound of a healthier you

The bass is booming, the treble is high and your favorite artist hits that note on the guitar. Your feet begin to tap, your head starts to bop and your body moves joyously to the sound of the music. Listening to music is extremely powerful. It has countless benefits for the mind and body. Music can help slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure and ultimately calm the mind. Other benefits include increased memory and a sharper mind. 

Effects of music on the body 

In a Cochrane Systematic Review, scientists found that patients with coronary heart disease had reduced heart rate and lower blood pressure after listening to music. That’s enough to make you build a playlist and plug in your headphones. Observe your mood and body when listening to music and choose slow rhythms that are calming and make you relax for optimal results on your heart rate.  

Effects of music on the mind 

Try calming your anxiety with a bit of music before a test and observe the difference. A study at McGill University in Montreal tested patients about to undergo surgery. The participants were randomly assigned to listen to music or take anti-anxiety medications. Those who listened to music had less anxiety than those who took drugs.  

How our brain computes music is fascinating. Vibrations travel through the air inside the ear canal when you listen to music. Those vibrations stimulate the eardrum and are transmitted into electrical signals that travel through the auditory nerve to the brain stem. They are then collected and converted into what we perceive as music. According to a study done at John Hopkins University, areas of the brain used to compute technical information light up when you hear new music. The next time you hear a new song you like, try to learn it. New music gets your brain moving and grooving in ways familiar tunes don’t. 

Effects of music on memory 

Part of staying young is keeping your memory intact. Experts say using music to remember events from the past is an excellent tool for memory exercise. Reach into your memory bank for an event that happened in your life and play a song from that period and you will recall more. Listen to music often and get groov’n to a healthier you.