Music is something that most people experience every day, whether as theme songs on television shows, songs played on the radio during a morning commute or lullabies sung to babies by their caretakers to help them fall asleep. In addition to being fun, listening to music affects mental and physical well-being in many positive ways. Here are three benefits of listening to music.
1. Boosts Performance During Exercise
Whether due to being distracted by the lyrics, motivated by upbeat tunes or something else, listening to music while working out has been linked to greater endurance and more efficient workouts. Consider one of these fast-paced genres if you want to boost your exercise performance:
- Techno
- Funk
- Hip Hop
- Electronic
Fortunately, music production services Los Angeles CA are creating new music all the time, so it is easy to find something new and exciting to listen to during your workout.
2. May Improve Memory
Listening to music, particularly classical music, while working can assist people with performing tasks that require memorization. In the long term, music has been shown to help slow cognitive decline, leading to greater memory capacity in your older years.
3. Can Reduce Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety
Listening to music affects several neurochemicals in the brain:
- Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that communicates with the “reward center” in the brain
- Oxytocin, a hormone that is linked to positive feelings and can reduce stress and anxiety
- Serotonin, which regulates mood and has been shown to cause feelings of sadness in too low levels
- Cortisol, a hormone related to stress that may be reduced when people listen to music
While not a replacement for medication or other appropriate treatments, music therapy can be beneficial to many people experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The next time you hear a song, be thankful for these three benefits provided by music.