Three Health Benefits of Listening to Your Favorite Song

It's obvious that listening to music relaxes you.  But we've got some specifics here on exactly WHY it's good.

Apparently it doesn't really matter what TYPE of music you listen to, as long as it's something you enjoy.  So even if your kids like something you hate...like dubstep, for example...it might actually help them unwind.  (Which seems impossible.)

One reason is, music reduces activity in a part of your brain called the amygdala. It's the area that regulates negative emotions.

Here are three ways listening to your favorite song is good for your health.

#1.)  It Lowers Your Blood Pressure. Researchers in Italy found that listening to music and breathing slowly for 30 minutes a day lowered people's systolic blood pressure (--the top number) by an average of four points.

#2.)  It Makes You Less Tense. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with your blood pressure, but a separate study found that 30 minutes of music a day lowers your level of the stress hormone cortisol better than just sitting in total silence.

And researchers in Seattle found that deep breathing while listening to your favorite music reduces anxiety just as much as a massage.

#3.)  It Helps You Deal with Pain. This is kind of messed, but researchers at the University of Utah gave 143 volunteers ELECTRIC SHOCKS while they listened to music.  They found that tuning into a melody made sharp pain easier to take.

(Good Housekeeping)

Need to relax? Try this: