Hey there, welcome back to the daily Senior Safety
Advice podcast. I'm so glad you're here with
me today because February, that's when this is
being published, is Heart Health and Emotional
Resilience Month. So on that topic, what I want
to talk about today is music therapy for relaxation
and heart health. My mom -in -law lived to 102.
And there wasn't a day that went by, I don't
believe, that she didn't listen to and dance
to some kind of music. She loved having music
playing. And I think that that really was one
of the reasons why she was able to live so long
and so well. I don't have any studies on that,
but it just seems to make sense to me. Music
tends to reach places where words simply cannot.
I've seen it happen in her and I've seen it happen
in many of my patients as I treated them for
occupational therapy. I've seen tense faces soften,
breathing will slow down, shoulders drop, all
because a familiar song starts playing. Music
doesn't argue with the body, you know, it doesn't
demand anything. It just arrives and the body
responds, usually beautifully. That response
can really be powerful to your mental health
and your physical health. And when we talk about
heart health, we often focus on numbers, right?
We talk about blood pressure, we talk about heart
rate. But the truth is the heart is emotional
too. It reacts to stress, to fear, to loneliness,
and music can help to soothe all of that. I've
watched older adults who felt restless suddenly
sit back and relax. I've watched caregivers who
were on edge start to breathe easier. I've watched
seniors with dementia who were agitated calm
down when a familiar song was played. So here's
why all of this matters. Relaxation protects
the heart. So when music calms the nervous system,
the heart doesn't have to work as hard. Your
blood pressure can lower, heart rate can steady,
and stress hormones can decrease. And this doesn't
require any fancy equipment, just music that
feels right to you. Now that's the key. Music
therapy isn't about what's popular, it's about
what feels comforting to the person who's listening
to it or persons. A song from younger years,
a favorite hymn, soft instrumental music. I've
seen people light up when they hear a song tied
to a good memory. Their body remembers safety,
and safety is deeply connected to heart health.
Another thing that I've noticed is that music
can help to regulate breathing. Slow music encourages
slow breaths, and slow breathing tells the heart
to relax. That rhythm matters. The heart loves
rhythm. It responds to steady, predictable patterns.
That's why gentle music works so well. Not loud,
not jarring, just steady and flowing. I have
a funny story. My sister was staying here with
me, and she likes to listen to rock and roll
type of music from the 50s and 60s. And I like
to listen to classical, quiet, you know, just
music, no words, no drums, no guitars, just quiet,
peaceful, new age kind of music, I guess you
can call it. So I was playing that one day while
she was staying and I was in the office working
and she was in the living room and I heard her
yell. This thing is making me sleepy. So for
her, it made her sleepy. But for me, it relaxes
me and calms me so that I can concentrate when
I'm working. So yeah, we did change it to her
rock and roll kind of music and she was happy
about that. You got to do what your guests like,
right? So here's something that families don't
always realize. Music can reduce anxiety without
medication. Believe that? I've seen people who
are anxious settle down with music playing softly
in the background. Not because their problems
disappeared, not because the situation changed,
but because their body felt supported. And when
the body calms down, the heart tends to follow.
Music therapy also helps with sleep. And we all
know that sleep is huge for heart health. Soft
music before bed can signal the body that it's
time to rest. It slows your thoughts. It can
reduce racing worries. I've seen people who struggled
with falling asleep drift off more easily with
familiar music playing quietly. I tend to...
Music doesn't help me to get to sleep, but white
noise does. So whatever sound it is that can
help you get to sleep, then use it. Discover
it and use it. That rest, that sleep rest, definitely
helps a heart to recover. Another thing that
music does beautifully is it reduces the feelings
of loneliness. And I personally think that's
one of the reasons that my mom -in -law enjoyed
having music, because for... The last, I don't
know, 15 plus years of her life, she lived alone.
She was a widow. So even when someone is alone,
music tends to create companionship. It fills
the space. And that emotional connection lowers
stress hormones. And lower stress hormones mean
less strain on the heart. And my mom -in -law
used to say, you know, I just love the sound
of music. It energizes me and it feels like someone
is here with me when the music is on. So that
feeling really matters. Music also, like for
my mom -in -law, encourages movement. A little
foot tapping, a sway in the chair, a soft stretch.
That kind of movement improves circulation, and
circulation helps to support heart health. I'm
not talking about exercise, doing aerobics to
music. I'm talking about just movement. And movement
paired with joy is especially powerful. It was
beautiful to see my mom -in -law dance around
the living room or the kitchen to her music.
Another thing I love about music therapy is how
personal it is. There's no right playlist. There's
no wrong genre. If it makes you feel calm, if
it makes you smile, if it brings you a sense
of peace, then it's doing its job. You can relax
to classical music, to country music, to love
songs, to rock and roll from the 50s, whatever.
I've seen it all. The heart doesn't judge taste.
It responds to comfort. Now here's something
important. Music therapy works best when it's
intentional. Not blasting the TV in the background,
but choosing music on purpose. Sitting with it.
Letting it wash over you. Even 10 minutes of
sitting down listening to music can make a difference.
And those small moments really add up. Caregivers
can use this too. Music can create calmer caregiving
routines, easier mornings, more peaceful evenings.
I've seen caregiving moments feel less tense
when music is playing softly in the background.
That calm can protect everyone's heart. And another
benefit that you may not know about music therapy
is memory support. Music can unlock memories
even when other things fade. And those moments
of recognition bring joy. Joy releases calming
chemicals in the body. And again, that supports
heart health. Music therapy isn't about fixing
anything. It's about supporting the body, giving
the heart a break. And that break matters. So
if your stress has been high, if your heart is
feeling tired, if life just feels loud, try music
therapy. One song, one quiet moment. Let it slow
you down. You don't need to do anything else.
Just listen. Your heart will do the rest. You
can use Amazon's Alexa to play music. You can
use your smartphone and have podcasts play music
or listen to the radio. Whatever it is, find
some source of music for yourself so that you
can incorporate it as a daily routine. Well,
that's all I have for you today. Thanks again
for listening, for being here with me. If today's
episode gave you some useful insights or maybe
a new idea or two, then share it with someone
who you think might find it helpful as well.
You can discover even more expert tips and helpful
guides for seniors and caregivers at seniorsafetyadvice
.com. And if you're searching for an aging in
place specialist or senior services, then visit
our website at aginginplacedirectory .com. And
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