Sing Your Way to Good Health

Bribie Island retirees are improving their health and social lives by performing in their local choir.

Residents of Churches of Christ Care Bribie Island and Woorim Retirement Villages admit that they can’t keep a tune, but they enjoy singing… and research has shown that it is good for them too!

After learning that group singing can be good for various health problems, Retirement Living manager Katherine Falzon intimated that the residents should be very healthy indeed.

“The choir sings at every opportunity on the campus and have also welcomed a couple from the outside community who were at one of their rehearsals and asked if they could join,” she said.

Along with their very talented pianist Judy Slade, the group perform at regular events, and Katherine said she is “so proud of them, and astonished how beautifully they sing.”

The research from around the world suggests that singing may be beneficial for a variety of issues including hearth health and snoring.

There is even evidence from some early stage research that has scientists wondering if the slower, more purposeful breathing used by singers could help people with breathing problems.

Another study by the University of Oxford in the UK - The ice-breaker effect: singing mediates fast social bonding – demonstrates that “the distinguishing feature of singing was that it bonded groups more quickly than the other activities”.

Find out more about Churches of Christ Care's retirement communities.