If you haven't been using your voice appropriately, then you are wasting a very good gift. According to research, music is the best thing that can happen to your life. Daily singing is proven to act as a pain reliever, stress reducer, motivates you to work harder, helps you relax, and helps you live a long and healthy life.

According to Jimi Hendrix, "music doesn't lie. If you want to change anything in this world, you can only do it through music."

Listening to music is not enough; you can capture its full benefits only if you sing it. By singing along when your favorite song is playing, you get the opportunity to feel the song with your whole body, soul, and mind.

Research has proven that music has the potential of changing your life, improving your health, increase your happiness, and prolongs your life.

Singing is also good for your brain. When you sing along to your favorite tune, you can even feel high. While you're singing, your brain releases endorphin hormones that produce pleasure the same as oxytocin. The two hormones help your body get rid of stress and anxiety.

Oxytocin also reduces the feeling of loneliness and depression. You feel more connected to the world. This explains why you enjoy singing more when in the company of other people.

The findings from a study carried out by scientists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, show that people who sing together become more connected as they exhibit synchronized heartbeats. People who have sung in a choir can attest to this. The unison produced by several voices singing together creates uniformity and connects people. It is now evident that singing is even better when done as a group.

Singing also requires you to concentrate deeply on your breathing. This helps major muscles in the upper body and is good for your lung and cardiovascular health.

"A song is a form of regular, controlled breathing. As you sing, breathing out occurs when the song phrases and you inhale in between the song. This gives the same breathing effect as that of yoga. It helps you relax and is beneficial to the heart", says Björn Vickhoff, the lead author of the study.

From the above, you can conclude that singing brings more health benefits to your body than doing yoga. People don't take singing as a form of exercise, but according to these researchers, that is precisely what is it. Its benefits are way more than your daily exercise routine.

Another important benefit of singing proven by research is the production of lower levels of cortisol. Low cortisol levels in your body mean reduced stress and an improved immune system.

Finally, a study done jointly by Harvard and Yale Universities in 2008 found that singing has a high chance of increasing your life expectancy. This is, of course, is related to the reduction of stress, and increased happiness.

If you want a better life, a good night's sleep, an abundance of happiness, and fewer visits to the hospital, it's high time you start singing.