An interview with a medical doctor,Joshua Bolarinwa from the University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin (UITH), said music is very good for one’s health.
He said that music can do the following things to one’s health:
It heals severe back pain: It helps the autonomic nervous system which takes care in controlling blood pressure heartbeat and brain function – and also the limbic system. When the beats of the music is slow , the blood pressure and heartbeat slow down which helps to breathe more slowly, thus reducing muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, stomach and back
It improves workout: When you listen to music during exercise, it will increase your level of endurance as well as boost your mood and keep you distracted from every form of discomfort during workout.
Researchers also found that men’s levels of exertion were at their lowest when listening to music. Other studies show that listening to music releases endorphins – natural ‘feel good’ hormones that lift mood and give motivation to carry on longer with exercise.
It helps regain memory loss. Music can help patients remember tunes or songs and get in touch with their history. This is because the part of the brain which processes music is located next to memory. Research shows that people with memory loss respond best to music of their choice.
It makes one happy: If you want to get emotionally high, take time to listen to your most favorite tune. It has been proven that when one listens to music of choice, the brain helps to release dopamine, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter. A very famous neuroscientist at McGill University injected eight music-lovers with a radioactive substance that binds to dopamine receptors after they listened to their favorite music. A PET scan showed that large amounts of dopamine were released, which biologically caused the participants to feel emotions like happiness, excitement, and joy.
It lowers stress and improves health: According to Billy Joel, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from”. When you listen to the music you enjoy, it reduces your stress hormone level.
It helps to sleep better: Berthold Auerbach said, “Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” It has been reported that students who take their time to listen to relaxing classical music for 45 minutes before going to sleep , sleeps very well more than those who did not .
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