Music Is Life

Music is a wonderful thing! We already know that listening to music may boost exercise ability, ease stress and anxiety levels, and even enhance a person’s recovery from a stroke.

But did you know that your heartbeat also mimics the beat of the music you listen to? Meaning there is no other stimulus on earth that simultaneously engages our brains as widely as music does.

I think that’s pretty cool.

This happens whether you listen to music, play an instrument, or sing — even informally in the car or the shower, and it definitely explains how and why music therapy works.

Music can also alter your brain chemistry, and these changes may produce cardiovascular benefits, as evidenced by a number of different studies. For example, studies have found that listening to music may:

• enable people to exercise longer during cardiac stress testing done on a treadmill or stationary bike
• improve blood vessel function by relaxing arteries
• help heart rate and blood pressure levels to return to baseline more quickly after physical exertion
• ease anxiety in heart attack survivors
• help people recovering from heart surgery to feel less pain and anxiety (and possibly sleep better).

In conclusion? Long live music!