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Your Body On... Music
A catchy song can hit the right notes for your body, mind, and mood.
Have you ever noticed that when it comes to waking up, you can snooze right through your alarm, but if you hear the first notes of your favorite BTS or Olivia Rodrigo song, your eyes spring open? That’s because music has a major advantage over a buzzing alarm. According to a new study of the effects of music on the body, setting your phone to wake you with your favorite jam can result in more alertness in the morning. But music isn’t just great for kickstarting your day. The right tunes can help with everything from soothing an overactive mind to fueling a killer workout. And studies show music can even repair damaged brains. Here are just a few ways a great tune can keep you feeling fine.
To get the most out of music, don’t just listen passively. Engaging deeply with music has powerful benefits for the brain—studies show that interacting with music can promote learning and boost your memory. Here are some fun ways to rock on:
Brain
Music activates different regions of the brain simultaneously. One of those regions is the brain’s reward center, which releases a feel-good chemical called dopamine when you listen to music.
Ears
When your jam comes on, vibrations from the speakers travel into the ear canal, where they stimulate tiny, hair-like nerve endings and produce an electrical signal. That signal travels to the brain, where it’s processed as music.
Lungs
Music can boost endurance and help you use oxygen more efficiently. In one study, cyclists who peddled to upbeat music used 7 percent less oxygen than a group that didn’t.
Heart
The same part of the brain that processes music also regulates breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. That’s why fast music can make your heart pound, and slow music can make you feel super mellow.
Immune System
Listening to music that makes you feel calm can lower the body’s level of the stress hormone cortisol. Lowering your cortisol levels can boost your body’s ability to fight infections.
When it comes to music facts, do you have perfect pitch?
TRUE OR FALSE? Listening to any type of music will help you fall asleep.
True
False
False! Anything with lyrics and a beat will keep your brain from fully relaxing.
TRUE OR FALSE? Music can help you learn math.
True! Learning musical concepts like tempo and time signature can help reinforce math lessons from the classroom.
TRUE OR FALSE? All headphones are basically the same.
False! In-ear headphones (or earbuds) have a higher risk of causing hearing damage because they channel the sound directly into the ear canal.
If you want to still rock out when you’re a senior citizen, lower the volume today. Listening to music through earbuds at full volume for just 30 minutes can cause permanent hearing loss. (If your music is loud enough to block out a nearby conversation, you’re in the red zone.) If your volume can go to 10, protect your ears by keeping it at 7 or below.
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