3 ways to tune up your health!

Self Magazine

Check out these proven ways music can do wonders fro your well-being.

To fend off colds: Belt out a song. After performing, singers had higher levels of salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA), a protein that defends against respiratory infections, reveals a study from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. Opening your mouth wide may stimulate production of IgA. Serenade yourself.

SELF has tons of amazing playlists for you to sing along to--from songs to listen to while you commute to treadmill tracks.

To soothe stress: Keep the beat. People who participated in weekly hour-long drum circle had lower stress levels, a study in the International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship reports. Drumming is stress-busting, relaxing exercise (akin to brisk walking); plus, the group camaraderie can help banish burnout. Find a circle at Remo.com

Find more ways to de-stress! Use one (or more) of these almost instant relaxers from SELF to give your overwhelmed mind and body the break they so desperately need.

To snooze soundly: Cue up a classical CD. Listening to relaxing music for 45 minutes before bedtime will help you drift off to sleep faster, a study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing notes. A tempo of between 40 and 72 beats per minute is the most sedating, but any tune you find soothing may help. Try the study-tested Mozart: Concerto & Sonata for Two Pianos ($14; Amazon.com.)

SELF has the scoop on urban relaxation sanctuaries, a brand new way to get some much needed rest in the middle of the day.

--Blake Miller

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