“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by.”
– Billy Joel
Music has long been known to be a source of entertainment and inspiration. But, did you know that music has health benefits too?
Here are a couple of ways that music may improve your health, especially for the elderly population.
Stress Levels
Music lowers cortisol levels. Cortisol may be better known as the stress hormone, as it is responsible for increasing stress. While you may experience stress as an uncomfortable feeling, it is actually much more dangerous than that. In fact, it is closely related to heart functioning, so staying on top of your stress levels is a crucial step in maintaining a healthy heart. Stress has been found to increase the risk of a heart attack by 25%, the risk of heart disease by 40% and risk of stroke by 50%. These staggering numbers speak for themselves. Fortunately, your first step to reducing them can come at the touch of a button.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia
“Alzheimer’s is now the country’s sixth leading cause of death; every sixty-seven seconds another American develops the disease.” This fact demands solutions to this crippling disease, which has been plaguing Americans.
Interestingly, David Aldridge [1] states that, “the literature suggests that musical activities are preserved while other cognitive functions fail. Alzheimer patients, despite aphasia and memory loss, continue to sing old songs and to dance to past tunes when given the chance.”
But, fortunately, it doesn’t end there. According to a study [2] on patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in 2010, it was suggested that music may heighten arousal, which allows improved attention and memory. Apparently, it works the other way around too and music seems be an effective tool in combating the disease.
Conclusion
Music is not only a great tool for improving your mood and spirit, but one that comes along with tangible health gains. So, go relax and fire up your favorite tunes.
What are your thoughts about including music time to your routine?
Please share in the comments below.
[1] Aldridge, David. “Music and Alzheimer’s disease–assessment and therapy: discussion paper.” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 86, no. 2 (1993): 93.
[2] Simmons-Stern, Nicholas R., Andrew E. Budson, and Brandon A. Ally. “Music as a memory enhancer in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.” Neuropsychologia 48, no. 10 (2010): 3164-3167.