Music is an essential part of the human experience. People from every culture in the world have gotten together to make music in some form or another. However, too many people today believe making music and playing a musical instrument are inaccessible or too difficult to pursue as careers or even hobbies!
This assumption is incorrect. Anyone of any age can learn to play a musical instrument. It’s a hobby that can impress your friends – but it has a ton of other added benefits to consider.
Here are four good reasons why learning a musical instrument is great for you and your health.
1) Physical Workout
Any instrument will be able to provide a great physical workout for you. They all require proper posture and control to play, as well as muscle built up from repeated movements. Lung support and breath control are also physical aspects of learning an instrument.
The drums are the best example of a musical workout. They use all four of your limbs, sometimes in a fast and repetitive manner. Websites like https://www.drumcenternh.com/ sell high-quality products at a discount and provide guides for drummers of all skill levels. It is never too late to start on a drum set cardio workout!
2) Deep Breathing
When we’re resting, our breathing tends to be shallow. Playing a woodwind or brass instrument, however, requires you to control your breath to use carefully. This deep breathing uses air from the diaphragm. You’ll learn to breathe better and control your abdominal muscles.
This deep breathing is also essential for volume control and sound quality. It creates a fuller sound and allows you to sustain your breath longer. As an added benefit, this breathing naturally relaxes you!
3) Coordination
Playing an instrument requires a significant amount of coordination. You must read music off of a page, translate it to a hand movement, and do it in time to a rhythm. It’s challenging learning at first, but it is a skill you can acquire over time.
The younger you learn to play an instrument, the easier it is for music to affect parts of the brain that control your coordination. However, practicing daily can benefit you at any age.
4) Relieve Stress With Musical Activity
Music can reduce stress and keep people calm. The music we like can lower our heart rate and blood pressure. As music can absorb our attention, it acts as a distraction at the same time it helps to explore emotions. This means it can be a great aid to meditation, helping to prevent the mind wandering. This is important for your health because stress can cause a person to age faster than normal. According to a study from Umea University, stress can even lead to the onset of conditions like Alzheimer’s.
A Healthy Outlet for Emotion
Playing an instrument provides a healthy outlet for any negative emotion. Many great songwriters have written tunes about sadness, anxiety, and stress. On the other hand, playing happy songs can also put you in a cheerful mood. No matter what kind of music you prefer, you are getting a positive result for your mental health.
Listening to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music. This type of music can have a beneficial effect on our physiological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones. Music, in short, can act as a powerful stress management tool in our lives.
Musical preference varies widely between individuals, so only you can decide what you like and what is suitable for each mood. But even if you don’t usually listen to classical music it may be worth giving it a try when selecting the most calming music.
When people are very stressed, there’s a tendency to avoid actively listening to music. Perhaps it feels like a waste of time, not helping to achieve anything. But as we know, productivity increases when stress is reduced. So this is another area where you can gain vast rewards. It just takes a small effort to begin with.
Singing (or shouting) along can also be a great release of tension, and karaoke is very enjoyable for some extroverts! Calming music before bedtime promotes peace and relaxation and helps to induce sleep.
In Conclusion
Playing a musical instrument has a plethora of health benefits for the musician. Not only is it a unique skill, but it also helps contribute to things like physical health and anti-aging benefits. Anyone can learn to play at any point in their life and have something to gain.
Making music is not impossible, like many people think. It is a difficult task that takes practice time, but it’s not impossible. Going at your own pace and practicing often are the key elements to learning consistently without exhausting yourself. The most successful musicians keep at it, even when it seems complicated!
Read more:
Music and dance go together. Here’s why you should be dancing daily.
