The science-backed reasons your voice might be your greatest wellness tool
Let me ask you something. When did you last sing? Not in a concert hall or on a stage — just sing. In the car, maybe, or in the shower, or humming along to something that came on the radio. Did it make you feel, even just for a moment, a little bit better?
That feeling isn't your imagination. Science has been catching up with what singers have known for centuries: singing is genuinely, measurably good for you. And the brilliant thing? You don't need to be a 'good singer' to benefit. You just need to open your mouth.
I've spent my life working with singers and choirs — from first-timers who were convinced they were tone-deaf to experienced performers stepping onto some wonderful stages. And every single one of them, without exception, has told me the same thing: singing changed something for them. Now research is telling us exactly why.
1. It Melts Away Stress — Literally
One of the most striking things researchers have found is what singing does to cortisol — the hormone your body releases when you're under stress. A study published in the journal Music Perception measured cortisol levels before and after group singing sessions and found meaningful reductions, particularly when people sang in groups. Think about that: your stress hormone actually drops when you sing.
There's a physical reason for this. Singing activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the part of your body responsible for the 'rest and digest' response, as opposed to 'fight or flight'. When you sustain a long phrase or breathe deeply to support a note, you're essentially sending a signal to your body that says: it's okay. You're safe. Relax.
I notice this every week in rehearsals. People come in frazzled from work or the school run or the commute, and within twenty minutes of singing together, the whole energy in the room has shifted. The shoulders drop. The smiles come out. It's not magic — it's biology.
2. It's a Full Workout for Your Lungs
Most of us breathe in a shallow, lazy way — barely using the bottom third of our lungs. Singing forces you to breathe properly. You have to expand your diaphragm, fill your lungs fully, and learn to control your breath as you release it across a phrase. This isn't just useful for singers; it's a respiratory workout that can have real health benefits.
Research has shown that regular singing can improve lung capacity and breathing control. For people with respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD, singing groups and vocal exercises have been used therapeutically to strengthen breathing muscles and improve quality of life. Choirs have even been formed specifically for people with Parkinson's disease, dementia, and chronic lung conditions — with remarkable reported results.
Even if you're perfectly healthy, better breathing means better oxygen flow, better posture, and more energy. And frankly, once you've learned to breathe for singing, you'll never go back to that shallow, hunched-over way again.
3. The Happiness Hormones Are Real
When you sing, your brain releases a cocktail of feel-good chemicals. Endorphins — the same hormones responsible for runner's high — are released during singing. So is oxytocin, sometimes called the 'bonding hormone', which is associated with feelings of trust, warmth, and connection.
A landmark study from Oxford University found that group singers bonded more quickly and reported higher feelings of inclusion and connection than groups who met socially in other ways. The act of making music together, synchronising your breath and your voice with other people, triggers something deep and primal in us. We are social creatures, and music is one of our oldest social tools.
I've seen friendships form in choirs that would simply never have happened anywhere else. People who arrive as strangers and leave as something much closer. That's oxytocin at work — and it doesn't care whether you hit every note perfectly.
4. It Does Wonders for Your Mental Wellbeing
There's a growing body of evidence linking regular singing with reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. A study by the Sydney Social Singing Research Group found that choir members reported significantly higher levels of wellbeing, and lower levels of depression and loneliness, compared to people who didn't sing regularly. Another study in the UK found that 60% of choristers said singing was the most important thing they did for their mental health.
Part of this is the social connection we talked about above. Loneliness is one of the biggest public health challenges of our time, and singing groups actively combat it. But there's also something else going on: the act of singing demands presence. When you're focused on a melody, matching your pitch, counting your entries, breathing correctly — you simply cannot be somewhere else in your head. Singing is a form of mindfulness, whether you think of it that way or not.
And then there's the sense of achievement. Learning a new song, nailing a difficult harmony, standing on a stage and performing something you've worked hard on — that builds confidence and self-esteem in a way that very few things can match.
5. It Keeps Your Brain Sharp
Here's one that often surprises people. Singing is cognitively demanding in the best possible way. You're reading music (or memorising it), tracking rhythm, processing pitch, listening to those around you, breathing consciously, and performing — all at once. This kind of complex, multi-layered mental activity is thought to help build and maintain cognitive reserve.
Studies have shown that learning to sing, especially learning to read music, engages both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously — something relatively few activities achieve. Research into dementia has found that musical memory often outlasts other types of memory, and that singing activities can help maintain communication and emotional connection for people living with the condition.
In short: singing is not just good for your heart. It's good for your head too.
"You don't need to be a 'good singer' to benefit from all of this. You just need to be willing to try."
— Philip Ashley
So... What Are You Waiting For?
If you've read this far, part of you is already curious. Maybe you're thinking: but I'm not a singer. I hear this all the time, and I can tell you with absolute certainty: yes, you are. Everyone who has a voice is a singer. Some people just haven't been shown how to use it yet.
Whether it's joining a choir, taking singing lessons, or simply allowing yourself to sing along to your favourite song in the car without apologising for it — every note counts. Every breath you take in song is doing something good for your body, your mind, and your spirit.
I'm based on the Costa Blanca and I direct several wonderful groups — Cantãmus, Canto Mundial, TheatreSong Collective, and the Vall del Pop Singers — as well as offering individual singing tuition. If you've ever thought about giving it a go, I would absolutely love to hear from you.
In the meantime, do me a favour: the next song that comes on — whatever it is — sing along. Loudly. Happily. Unashamedly.
Your cortisol will thank you.