The 1 Thing As Powerful as Exercise for Improving Mental Health

The next time you’re not able to get out to the gym, maybe toss on some tunes instead: new research suggests the positive impact on mental health from singing, playing, or listening to music is around the same impact experienced with exercise or weight loss.

This is from a study of 26 previous studies and a total of 779 people. The consensus is growing that there are definitely links between music and wellbeing. Just how it helps, and how much, is what this particular piece of research is about.

The results of these 26 studies were compared to see how listening to music improved mental wellbeing (through the “Quality of Life” survey), compared to other non-drug solutions like exercise. According to the study authors, the mental health boost from music is within the same range as physical exercise.

As you might expect, every person responded differently to the music therapy, some getting more benefit than others. But this is the point of the research, to start asking these more detailed questions:

• what kind of music therapy works
• how do we customize it, per person
• what range of benefits can we achieve
• how long can the benefits last

While we’re waiting on research science to sort itself out, remember that jammin’ to the tunes you love turns out to be as good for you heart as it is for your mind.

The research has been published in JAMA Network Open.