After studying or working hard, karaoke can help you relieve stress and fatigue. The effect of karaoke is far more than entertainment. Karaoke also has many other health benefits, including helping you lose weight. Is this true? Does karaoke burn calories?
The answer is yes. Karaoke can burn calories. The amount of calories burned by singing depends on the position and weight of the singer.
In this article, we will learn more about the calorie-burning effect and other health benefits of karaoke. Let’s explore together!
Does Karaoke Burn Calories?`
As we mentioned above, karaoke is also an effective calorie-burning activity. People with different weights and singing positions will have a different amount of burned calories.
For an hour of singing, a 150-pound person will burn about 100 calories if sitting down. If this person stands to sing, the burned calorie amount will be 140 calories. And, the calorie consumption will increase by at least 40% if this person moves or dances while singing.
Besides, with the same activities, people who weigh more will burn more calories. For example, a person weighing 200 pounds will burn 40 more calories than a 150-pound person.
Other Health Benefits of Karaoke
In addition to the calorie-burning effect, karaoke has a lot of other benefits for your health. Below are some advantages of karaoke for your mental and physical health.
#1. Relieve stress
Relieving stress is the greatest benefit of karaoke to your health. Studies showed that singing significantly reduces the amount of cortisol- the stress hormone. Therefore, you always feel relaxed after singing your heart out.
Besides, karaoke also helps release muscle tension and regulate the vegetative nervous system. When karaoke, you don’t need to memorize the lyrics to sing, so your mind will be completely comfortable.
Karaoke will reduce more stress than professional singing performance. Because when performing on the stage, singers may feel anxious about their performance. In this case, the amount of cortisol increases instead of going down.
#2. Prevent depression and raise pain tolerance
Having a karaoke party with your friends will help your body release endorphins. This hormone is the natural pain relief and antidepressant that boosts positive feelings. Besides, it can raise your pain threshold.
Additionally, when singing you will create frequencies. An ear organ called the sacculus will respond to these frequencies. This response immediately makes you feel pleasure even if you don’t sing well.
#3. Improve your mental alertness
Singing is also a form of exercise, and it can improve blood circulation. More oxygen will come to your brain and promote your mental alertness.
Karaoke is also used as a treatment for people with dementia like Alzheimer’s disease.
The patients of this disease will gradually lose their memory. Physicians will let them sing familiar songs to enhance their memory. Many patients say that they remember their forgotten reminiscences when they sing.
#4. Enhance the immune system
Karaoke can stimulate the immune response of the body and help prevent illness. A study conducted at Frankfurt University has proved this fact.
In the study, participants attended a singing rehearsal for an hour. The scientists tested their blood before and after the rehearsal. The result showed that after singing the body produces more immunoglobulin A. This protein acts as an antibody to protect you from infections.
#5. Good for your respiratory system
When you sing, you will need more oxygen than normal. So, the respiratory system will work at full capacity to provide enough oxygen for the body.
Lungs, nasal cavities, tracheas will expand more and become clearer. The side muscles and diaphragm will also be stronger.
Improvement of the respiratory system can stop snoring and improve your sleep. Besides, you are also less likely to suffer from respiratory diseases.
#6. Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
According to research, singing, especially singing in a group, can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
When you sing with others, your heart rate will go up and down at the same time as everyone else’s. The heart will beat more to provide more blood to the brain.
In this way, the blood circulation will be better. Thus, you can prevent high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases.
#7. Help the digestive and excretory system work better
You will need to take a deep breath to sing so that the diaphragm work more.
Accordingly, the stomach will contract more and thereby improve intestinal motility. So, the digestive and excretory systems will work more efficiently. Thereby, you will avoid stomach pain, indigestion, constipation, etc.
#8. Good for your spine
Another good effect of karaoke that we often ignore is the effect on the spine. To sing at your best, you will stand or sit with your back straightened, neck raised and shoulders relaxed. This position is good for your spine and can reduce back pain.
#9. Make your face skin more beautiful
When performing karaoke, your entire facial muscles will be active. So, the skin will be more elastic. This activity also promotes internal circulation and better subcutaneous metabolism. Therefore, you will have healthier and more beautiful skin.
#10. Reduce menstrual disorders in women
It may seem irrelevant, but in fact, karaoke can help women reduce menstrual disorders.
The menstrual cycle depends on the amount of secreted sex hormones. However, mood and emotions are the main factors affecting the secretion of these hormones.
Karaoke can relieve stress, increase positive feelings and boost the mood. This effect will stimulate the pituitary gland to regulate sex hormones. Thereby, menstrual disorders will decrease.
Social Benefits of Karaoke
Karaoke is good for your health, but do you know it’s also good for your social life? Here are some social benefits of karaoke you should know.
Karaoke can make the connection between you and your friends or family more profound. Moreover, you can make many new friends with this activity. You will have a lot of fun in karaoke when singing together.
#2. Help you become more self-confident
Another social benefit of karaoke is enhancing your confidence. You may feel shy when singing in front of others for the first time. But with the praise from your friends and family, these feelings will soon disappear.
Singing karaoke regularly will make you more self-confident. From there, you will find it easier to perform or give presentations in front of strangers.
#3. Show your talent
Karaoke is a chance for you to show off your good voice and performance skills. You may not recognize your talent until you sing in front of other people.
Some Bad Effects of Karaoke and How To Avoid Them
Karaoke brings a lot of benefits, but you should not overdo it and need to sing with the right technique. Otherwise, karaoke may cause some problems to you as follows.
#1. Vocal issues
Singing will make your vocal cords work harder than normal. If you try to reach the high notes, you may overstrain the cords and hurt them.
The same thing happens when you sing too loud or sing for too long. Then, you can have a sore throat, hoarseness, or breathing difficulties.
In some cases, you can tear your vocal cords and cause loss of voice. Overdoing karaoke is also a cause of laryngitis and vocal cord paralysis.
#2. Hearing problems
Whether you sing karaoke at home or at karaoke bars, the sound is very loud.
Normally, the safe sound threshold for the human ear is 85 decibels. But the sound of most karaoke sessions is higher than 95 decibels. Exposure to this sound for a long time will cause hearing problems, including hearing loss.
#3. Risk of infection
Karaoke microphones contain a lot of bacteria, especially microphones in karaoke bars. Some bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus can cause mouth and throat ulcers. You may get infected if your mouth comes in too close contact with the microphone.
#4. How to avoid
Here are some things you can do to avoid these bad effects and have a safe and fun karaoke session.
- Always do warm-up before singing
- Drink more water while singing and avoid alcoholic drinks
- Choose songs that suit your vocal tone to protect your chord
- Don’t sing continuously for a long time, you should take breaks
- Adjust the music volume at a proper level
- Keep the microphone far from your mouth
- Clean the microphone regularly if you sing at home
Conclusion
Hopefully, through this article, you’ve found the answer to the question: “Does karaoke burn calories?”. Karaoke not only helps you to burn calories but also has many other benefits. However, you should sing karaoke properly to avoid bad effects. Thank you for following this post!
