Why Everyone Should Join a Choir When They Retire
In Britain, over 2.8 million people enjoy the benefits of singing in a choir. There is music for every taste, from rock and pop choirs, to gospel and classical. Choral singing isn’t just something that is reserved for Sunday morning hymns, it is all-inclusive and community based. When you retire, how about joining a choir? Research from Oxford University has shown that it is beneficial to your mental and physical wellbeing. Singing really can make you feel happier and healthier.
Singing improves your breathing
Singing improves the airflow in your lungs. You will learn to breathe slower and in a more controlled way. Research done by The British Lung Foundation found that in doing so, the muscles in your lungs will get stronger, helping you to breathe easier. They also found that regular singing helps give you a greater lung capacity. It can help you to reduce coughing, by learning to avoid the triggers that cause it, such as breathing cold air through your mouth.
Joining a choir is not expensive
If you are retiring, you may be living on a budget. Joining a choir is a really inexpensive hobby - many groups only charge £5-6 a session. This is less than a London pint of beer. For the cost of this membership, you will be learning a new skill, singing some great music and meeting a group of like-minded people.
Singing increases happiness
Research has shown that after singing, people feel more positive. This boost in mood is caused partially by the release of neurochemicals in the brain. These include dopamine, serotonin and β-endorphin, all responsible for giving us uplifting feelings of happiness. The positivity is also caused by the closeness that we feel to others when we are singing together. Even if you aren’t performing to an audience, singing as a group stimulates the dopamine pathway, activating the reward system in the brain.
Stimulate your mind
It is widely reported amongst choir members that learning a new song helps improve memory in the long term. Studies have also shown that this is of particular benefit to people that are living with dementia. This is because singing improves our ability to focus our attention, manage and remember several tasks at the same time and plan. Regular choir rehearsals are beneficial to these brain processes.
Be part of a group
The social aspects of being part of choir are really beneficial when you are retiring. One study found that having a strong social network around us is actually better for our health than giving up smoking. By joining a choir you can bond with other music lovers, all working together towards the same shared goal. It will give you a sense of belonging within your community.
When you retire, joining a choir can help you to meet new people, all with a love of music. You can learn new songs, both modern and classic and enjoy singing them together as a group.
