Tune in for Better Health
By Tom Herrin
Things are not always as they seem. In order to improve health, people may feel that they must work hard in rigid exercises or diet to the extent that they feel almost starved. It is true that success in weight control is largely dependent on a good diet and exercise. It also helps to fix several other kinds of health issues. Many areas may be improved by some of the more subtle things. Listening to music can make more changes in health than many people realize. Of the various types of music, one of the best for this is jazz.
It May Stimulate the Mind
Most people have some kind of recollection of seeing someone listening to jazz as they are stimulated to create. It not only is good for creating but also serves well to help people focus. Depending on the kind of beat, listening to music can do everything from stimulate people to help them sleep. It can do varied things to brain waves. For those who engage in exercise, it may be able to raise their energy level.
It May Help with Pain
Many places now use various types of music therapy for those suffering from pain or illness. It is used for all kinds of things from childbirth to postoperative recovery to actual surgery. Studies have shown that people who listen to music had a 21 percent decrease in pain as compared to those who did not listen who had a 2 percent increase. That is a fairly significant contrast!
It May Relieve Stress
Most of us probably think of listening to jazz as relaxing and getting into a groove. In other words, we perceive that it is something that people do to wind down at the end of a hectic day. Studies have shown that listening to jazz, or some other soft music, for 45 minutes before bedtime can have pretty good results in helping us sleep. In studies, of those who listened for one week, 26 percent were sleeping better. Of those who listened for three weeks, 35 percent were sleeping better. It is also known to help reduce depression. For what it’s worth, I listen quite often and find it to be soothing and relaxing. In my case, it helps drown out other distraction as well. If you want to try something easy to improve your health for a change, listen to a little jazz or other soft music.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Redmond, Wash.