HUMMING and the Surprising Vocal & Health Benefits

A Better Voice Using Good Vibrations

I recently finished reading the book, The Humming Effect, sound Healing for Health and Happiness by Jonathan Goldman and Andi Goldman and cannot recommend it highly enough for singers and for anyone who uses their voice a lot and wants to strengthen it and reap extra rewards.

More than that though, it turns out that humming is for anyone experiencing the stress of our modern world. An excellent read with very specific exercises to guide you into healthy daily habits, The Humming Effect provides a powerful non-pharmaceutical prescription for vocal health and self-healing with only beneficial side-effects such as harmony, health and happiness! 

Do you realize that your body is a musical instrument? Like all musical instruments, vibrations travel throughout your body. A vibration is a rapid back-and-forth movement. Vibrations can be changed to alter the pitch of the sound we make.

The ideal voice is rich and full. The vocal sound is well-projected and each word is easy to understand. When you are feeling the vibrations caused by sound waves, these vibrations move up into your nasal or sinus area and amplify your voice.

The speed of vibration is measured by frequency. Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz.) It's the frequency of vibration that determines the pitch of the sound we make. The faster the vibration, the higher the pitch. This is why singers require more air, inhalation, for higher sounds.

Your vocal folds (cords) can vibrate faster than 1000 Hertz or 1000 vibrations per second. In speech a typical adult male will have a fundamental frequency from 85 to 180 Hz while the adult female will have a frequency of 165 to 255 Hz.

Good vocal training begins with properly executed humming exercises. Humming helps the vocal chords to resonate freely which is basic to good singing.

Humming for Your Heart

Humming may be one of the simplest, most natural things a person can do, yet the benefits are surprisingly far reaching. Whether humming your favorite tune or humming the sound "Om," the activity could help your heart, your stress level and your sinuses, working to reduce your risk for heart attack, stroke and sinusitis.

Studies suggest that humming produces a positive effect on both heart rate and blood pressure, as can some chanting and breathing exercises, but the effects seem to occur only where there is vocalization and vibration. Simply chanting a mantra or prayer in one's head doesn't produce the same benefits.

Around one in three people in the United States have high blood pressure, and many don't know it. This condition is called the "silent killer," because it oftentimes leads to kidney, heart and brain damage before a person knows that she or he has it. Humming may not be a cure-all for hypertension, but a study that involved participants humming the sound "O-U-Mmma" experienced a significant drop in blood pressure, particularly the diastolic pressure after only five minutes. There was a slight, but noticeable, decrease in heart rate as well. The activity was part of a yoga breathing exercise called Bhramari pranayama. The participants were instructed to mimic a sound like a humming wasp to ensure that the inner walls of their nostrils and their laryngeal walls vibrated with the noise.

Humming can reduce stress

Humming can fight stress and bring a sense of calm. The increased oxygenation of the blood causes feelings of relaxation. Registered Nurse Erin Yasinski says that humming produces this benefit in addition to stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the system that triggers the relaxation response. This response is the opposite of the fight-or-flight response initiated by the sympathetic nervous system. The relaxation response causes muscles to relax, the heart rate to slow and blood pressure to decrease. It can even aid digestion.

Some people notice the muscles in their face, jaws and shoulders relaxing while they hum. Thoughts slow down, and people may experience an increased ability to focus. It can reduce anxiety and dispel agitation. Humming may also release tension held in the abdomen, leading to a soft, relaxed belly instead of a stomach churning with anxiety.

Humming to Open Nasal Cavities

Sinusitis is a painful condition characterized by inflammation in the area around the nose. Up to 14 percent of people in the United States suffer from sinus diseases that can cause congestion and headaches as well as pain in the inflamed areas. When a person hums, the vibrations can decrease blockages in the sinuses. The action may also lead to an increase in nitric oxide flow. Sufficient nitric oxide flow is important for optimal sinus function, because it helps improve blood flow by dilating the capillary beds.

In one study, participants experienced an increase in gas exchange in their sinuses from 4 percent to 98 percent. Humming is believed to lengthen a person's exhalations, which in turns slows breathing and gives the body more time to extract oxygen from the air it takes in.

There doesn't seem to be any difference between humming a tune and humming a single note when it comes to the health benefits, but it does require making sounds. So if you're self-conscious, you might look for opportunities when no one's around. It's something you can safely do while driving in a car or at home while doing household chores or even exercising. 

Sources for this article include:

The Living Healthy Lounge 

Life Spa

Remedy Grove

And here are the Lyrics to a fave Girl Scout Song - Linger!

Linger

Public Domain

1^st Verse

Hmmm, I want to linger,

Hmmm, a little longer,

Hmmm, a little longer here with you.

2^nd Verse

Hmmm, it's such a perfect night,

Hmmm, it doesn't seem quite right,

Hmmm, that this should be my last with you.

3^rd Verse

Hmmm, and come September,

Hmmm, I will remember,

Hmmm, our camping days and friendships true.

4^th Verse

Hmmm, and as the years go by,

Hmmm, I'll think of you and sigh,

Hmmm, this is good-night and not good-bye.