Browse: Home / Heart disease / Singing in the choir gets hearts beating more harmoniously

Menu

Skip to content
  • About
  • Better Body Chemistry School
  • Book a health conversation
  • Speaking query
  • The “Big” Spoons
  • Donate
Header image

BBC

Small things can make a big difference to your health

advertisement

Menu

Skip to content
  • Home
  • START HERE
  • Free Resources
    • 31 days to Better Body Chemistry
    • Willpower Report
    • Better Body Chemistry for Expecting Moms
    • The ups and downs of insulin resistance
    • Candy Floss Boards
  • Meet the Team
  • Library
  • Lucky dip
  • Better Body Chemistry TV
    • Video gallery for Expecting Moms
    • Video gallery for people with metabolic syndrome
    • Video gallery of how to survive flu season
  • Sound bites
  • Contact

Singing in the choir gets hearts beating more harmoniously

Posted by Dr Sandy on in Heart disease | 554 Views | Leave a response

happy hearts singing in the choirIf you are not a big fan of the gym, preferring more civilized pursuits… then research from Sahlgrenska Academy will get you singing with delight, quite literally.

The Swedish team have discovered tralla lala laling together in a choir, does not just create pleasing music for the ears that behold it. It is creates harmonious heart beats for the singers too.

And hearts that are beating together, have a powerful presence, contributing to heart health.

The body’s musical score

Most of us know music has the capacity to alter our mindsets, the mindset created depends on the type of the music, as well as personal preferences.

But, the heart is also tuned into music.

The tuning in arises because of the RSA. The RSA is the respiratory sinus arrhythmia, which is fancy physiological speak that describes the fact that your heart rate and breathing rate are biologically connected.

Slow one and the other responds, proportionately.

High schoolers singing in unison

To explore the phenomenon more, the research team were serenaded by the Hvitfeltska High School choir.

Prior to the concert, the fifteen members of the choir were hooked up to heart monitoring equipment, so that as they sung their heart activity was recorded.

The entertainment included a little humming, a little chanting and a hymn. The singing session did not start immediately, so the heart activity was also recorded a little before and after the recital.

This activity served as the baseline to compare the effects of the singing interludes.

Hearts jumping all over the place

When the choir members just chilled – their heart rates jumped all about.

The warming up, humming session was also pretty chaotic too. But when the choir master snapped the batton to begin the REAL singing and chanting – both voices and hearts quickly got in synch.

The heart rates bounced along in unison. Slowing and speeding up with the beat melody.

Singing is like yoga

As the team analysed the heart fox-trot, they found the heart rhythms were not tracking the actual beat of the music, but when the choir members took a breath.

Singing and chanting require collective breathing. To hold the tune, everyone breathes to the tune.

Humming and chilling do not require you to take a breath at a particular moment, you breath when you feel like it.

Singing titillates the vagus nerve

The part of the nervous system which “worries” about breathing is the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve forms part of the autonomic nervous system, which are nerves that twitch without any conscious effort. Singing is firing up the side of the autonomic nervous system which is going about the normal day to day living, the so called live and let live response – the relaxed calm, take it easy side of things.

This is the side of things YOU WANT running the show.

Calm your nerves at choir practise

Singing together means breathing together. And breathing is good for the nerves.

It calms you down. Leaving your heart beating on an even keel. Lowered heart rate variability is a sign of a happy, healthy heart.

So get tralla lala laling.

Angels or cats ? It doesn’t matter

Too you. It probably matters to the rest of the choir.

If you really cannot hold a note, joining a choir might be a challenge, but you will still find singing beneficial, maybe restrict your singing to the bath.

And most importantly, remember to breathe.

PS. A song just before your annual blood pressure check-up, might just save the day.

Share Button
Music determines heart rate variability of singers. Frontiers in Neuroscience (2013) Björn Vickhoff, Helge Malmgren, Rickard Åström, Gunnar Nyberg, Seth-Reino Ekström, Mathias Engwall, Johan Snygg, Michael Nilsson, and Rebecka Jörnsten.  

Further reading

happy heart giving tn happy heart at high altitude vampire dracula fixing metabolic syndrome
Volunteering creates a little slack in tight blood vessels Sea breezes may not be what your heart desires  Suffering from high blood pressure – you need a vampire ?
Share Button
Got metabolic syndrome ?
* indicates required

Close

Did you learn something new or do you have a different perspective ? I’d love to hear from you so post me a comment below

Posted in Heart disease | Tagged breath, breathing, choir, gym, heart, heart rate, heart rate variability, mindset, nerves, nervous system, RSA, singing, vagus nerve

Connect with us

facebook you tube pinterest 40 google plus 40 Linkedin

FEELING….

sign posts then you need better body chemistry.

Grab our free E-course

“31 days to better body chemistry”

The advice is simple to follow and based on REAL science, not hype

Need more information ? Click here

  • Popular
  • Featured
  • Recent
  • oatmeal breakfast being beaten by egg

    Which is a better breakfast, egg or oatmeal ?

    16890 views / Posted
  • chewing gum relieving postoperative ileus

    A stick of chewing gum gets the gut going after surgery

    16102 views / Posted
  • poop getting stuck

    The fix for constipation is to go on a low fibre diet

    16097 views / Posted
  • carbonated water bubbles fill you up

    Fizzing up the water flattens your appetite

    14272 views / Posted
  • a see food diet

    It might be time to try the TRF see food diet – it works

    11500 views / Posted
  • sun extracting cholesterol

    Make sure you have your “annual” check-up in the summer time

    / Dr Sandy
  • sending your kid to bootcamp won't stop childhood obesity

    Moving more won’t stop your kid from getting fat

    / Dr Sandy
  • cholesterol at the scene of the accident

    Bone cells are stiffening up your arteries not cholesterol

    / Dr Sandy
  • brain size the problem in ADHD

    Are kids with ADHD just acting according to their brain age

    / Dr Sandy
  • plastering the blood vessel with calcium

    Calcium supplements are building bones and breaking hearts

    / Dr Sandy
  • fat cells creeping out while women is sleeping

    If you don’t include this in your diet – you won’t lose fat

    / Dr Sandy
  • muslce arriving at gym for an afternoon exercise session

    When is the best time to exercise ?

    / Dr Sandy
  • allergy belly

    Is your antihistamine making you fat ?

    / Dr Sandy
  • cholesterol number

    If your cholesterol number is a little high – DON’T WORRY

    / Dr Sandy
  • E3 ligase switching off cholesterol production

    How to lower cholesterol production safely

    / Dr Sandy

RSS Recent posts

Dr Sandy Dr Sandy Evans, PhD

Located in Johannesburg, South Africa

Book an appointment with Spoonful of Science using SetMore
Disclaimer : The stories and articles are provided as a service. Dr Sandy's opinions are for information only, and are not intended to diagnose or prescribe. For your specific diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor or health care provider.
 
 

Connect with Dr Sandy

facebook 40
you tube 40
pinterest 40
google plus 40
linkedin 40
meetup 40
 

Categories

Featured posts

  • oatmeal breakfast being beaten by egg

    Which is a better breakfast, egg or oatmeal ?

    16890 views / Posted
  • chewing gum relieving postoperative ileus

    A stick of chewing gum gets the gut going after surgery

    16102 views / Posted
  • poop getting stuck

    The fix for constipation is to go on a low fibre diet

    16097 views / Posted
 

©2011-2019 Spoonful of Science

Menu

  • Meet Dr Sandy
  • Disclosure/disclaimer
  • Privacy policy
  • Comment policy
  • Contact
Redirect Stakk
Thank You

Beat your SUGAR CRAVINGS, using biology, NOT psychology

Download our FREE REPORT entitled, "How to get the Willpower you Need to Trump Sugar's Power"

  • Do you have a sugar gremlin ?
  • Discover the biology behind sugar gremlins
  • Learn about the 10 weapons you can use to TAME YOUR SUGAR GREMLIN

Get instant access