11/12/2025
Wow! This is a powerful response from the body to singing.
In clinic, I talk about increasing vagal tone to activate our immune responses.
Perhaps all we need to do is sing!!
Is there a happier way to enter flu season?!
Your voice holds power far beyond words.
According to a fascinating study, singing for just one hour can increase your body’s production of secretory immunoglobulin A, or SIgA, by up to 240 percent. SIgA is your immune system’s first line of defense. It coats the lining of your mouth, throat, lungs, and digestive system, blocking viruses and bacteria before they invade deeper.
Researchers compared people who sang to those who simply listened to music or sat quietly. The difference was clear. Singing led to a massive spike in immunity, while the other activities offered only minor changes.
The act of singing is not just emotional. It is physical medicine. Breath control strengthens the lungs. Muscle engagement improves circulation. Vocal vibration stimulates healing in the chest, face, and brain.
Even more impressive? Singing activates the vagus nerve. This nerve calms the body, regulates stress, lowers cortisol, and balances your immune system. It is the body’s natural switch between fight mode and healing mode.
This is not about singing well. It is about singing fully. Whether it is gospel in a choir, humming in the kitchen, or belting a pop song in the car, your immune system listens and responds.
Singing also boosts endorphins, creating a natural high that relaxes the mind and energizes the body. In a world overwhelmed by stress, that shift can be the medicine many people never realized they needed.
So sing like your health depends on it. Because science says it just might.
Your voice is more than expression. It is immunity in motion.
