Singing to strengthen the immune system

Singing has positive effects on the immune system

06/08/2012

Singing strengthens the immune system, explained Professor Dr. med. Eckart Altenmüller, Director of the Institute of Music Physiology and Musicianship of the University of Music, Drama and Media (HMTM) in Hanover, opposite the news agency „dpa“. For example, singers in winter seldom suffer from colds.

According to the expert, singing in chorus can strengthen the immune system and also cause the release of positive emotion hormones. For the music physiologist Professor dr. Altenmüller singing is quite comparable to sports and has corresponding positive effects on health.

Release of positive emotion hormones and strengthening of the immune system
As the oldest instrument in the world, the voice has been used for thousands of years singing. But even today researchers are constantly discovering new effects of singing on the human organism. The current state of research on the health effects of singing is summarized by Professor dr. Altenmüller together as follows: „Choral singing leads to the release of a whole range of positive emotion hormones through the activation of the breathing, the control of the respiratory muscles and last but not least through the shared experience.“ As an example, the expert from the Institute of Music Physiology and Musicianship called this „cuddle hormone“ oxytocin, „as well as the classic happiness hormones, the endorphins.“ Furthermore, will „When singing immunoglobulin formed - that is: singing strengthens the body's defenses“, so Altenmüller on. This is also the reason that „Singers in amateur and amateur choirs, for example, in winter rarely a cold“ get, explained the professor of medicine.

Singing as a physical training?
On the physical challenge of singing, explained Prof. Dr. med. Altenmüller that „Singing and playing music are definitely exhausting“ can. A professional musician „during a concert more stress than the pilot of a jet plane when flying“, emphasized the director of the Institute for Music Physiology and Musician Medicine at the HHMTM. Because musicians have to „For several hours every movement, every sound anticipate and monitor“, while on the other hand, when the plane is in the air, „usually the autopilot turned on“ becomes, continues Altenmüller. As a result, singing could also be considered as a kind of physical training.

Chorgesang not very popular with young people
The by Prof. dr. Altenmüller presented health benefits of singing suggest that many more people should sing in the choir. But actually fewer and fewer young people join a choir. „Singing with others is often shameful for teens“, explained the expert in this context. Especially with boys show „The voice in adolescence reaches sexual maturity, which is unpleasant to many“, so Prof. dr. Altenmüller. According to the music physiologist, that shows „Success of many casting shows but how great is the interest of singing with young people still.“ According to the expert, the problem may also be in the music offered. What the teenagers „Usually not so much like, is classical singing, which goes in the direction of high culture: opera and just choir singing. This is considered too unnatural by many“, explained Altenmüller. (Fp)

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Image: Paul-Georg Meister