How does singing improve your physical and mental health?

Whether you love to belt out tunes at karaoke or just sing in the shower, it turns out that singing can be good for both physical and mental health. And you don't even have to be good at it!
无论你是喜欢在卡拉 OK 上高歌一曲，还是只是在洗澡时唱歌，事实证明，唱歌对身心健康都有好处。而且，你甚至不必擅长唱歌！

The physical and mental advantages of singing are caused by a combination of factors, according to Baishali Mukherjee from the World Federation of Music Therapy. He told BBC Future, "The physical exertion involved in singing – filling of our lungs, the firm control of our vocal cords, the movements of our mouth and body – is among the reasons why it can boost our mood." Hitting all the notes involves breathing control and the use of the diaphragm. This can lead to an increase of oxygen intake and lung capacity.
世界音乐疗法联合会的拜沙利·穆克吉认为，唱歌的身心益处是由多种因素共同造成的。他告诉BBC Future：“唱歌时的体力消耗，即肺部的充盈、声带的稳定控制、口腔和身体的运动，是唱歌能改善我们情绪的原因之一。唱准所有音符需要控制呼吸和使用横膈膜。这会引起氧气摄入量和肺活量的增加。

Also, apparently, singing in a group brings just as many benefits as singing solo. It has been estimated that over 2.2 million people in Britain now regularly sing in a choir. A choir can be amateur or professional and is made up of people who sing together, often in harmony with different people singing different parts, such as soprano or tenor, according to their vocal range.
此外，显然，在团体中唱歌与独唱一样，都能带来诸多好处。据估计，现在英国有超过220万人定期参加合唱团活动。合唱团可以是业余的，也可以是专业的，由一起唱歌的人组成，他们通常以不同的声部和谐地演唱，比如女高音或男高音，根据他们的音域来分配。”

A 2022 University of Vienna study found that choral singing enhances feelings of trust and bonding among a group, which can help with depression and loneliness. And, aside from mood-boosting, other proven mental health benefits of singing include a lowering of stress and anxiety levels due to the release of endorphins – the so-called 'happy hormones'.
维也纳大学2022年的一项研究发现，合唱能增强群体间的信任感和凝聚力，有助于缓解抑郁和孤独。除了促进情绪，唱歌对心理健康的其他益处还包括通过释放内啡肽（即所谓的“快乐荷尔蒙”）来降低压力和焦虑水平。

So, whether you are a confident vocalist or not, give singing a go! You don't need an instrument because that's you. And yes, you might forget the lyrics or sound a little out of tune, but remember, there are a wealth of positives.
因此，无论你是否是一个自信的歌唱家，都可以试着唱一唱！你不需要乐器，因为你自己就是乐器。没错，你可能会忘记歌词或者听起来有点跑调，但请记住，这样做有很多好处。

词汇表
belt out tunes [tjuːn] 高歌一曲，引吭高歌
karaoke [ˌkæriˈəʊki] 卡拉OK
physical exertion  [ɪɡˈzɜː(r)ʃ(ə)n] 体力消耗
vocal cord [kɔː(r)d] 声带
boost our mood 改善情绪
hit all the notes 唱准所有的音符
diaphragm [ˈdaɪəfræm] 横膈膜 (位于肺和胃之间的肌肉，呼吸时起作用)
oxygen intake [ˈɪnteɪk] 摄氧量，氧气的摄入量
lung capacity 肺活量
singing solo [ˈsəʊləʊ] 独唱
choir [ˈkwaɪə(r)] 合唱团，唱诗班
amateur [ˈæmətə(r)] 业余的，非职业的
in harmony 和声；和弦
soprano [səˈprɑːnəʊ] 女高音
tenor [ˈtenə(r)] 男高音
vocal range 音域
choral singing [ˈkɔːrəl] 合唱
bonding [ˈbɒndɪŋ] （人与人之间的）关系，联结，凝聚力
endorphin  [enˈdɔː(r)fɪn] 内啡肽（内分泌激素，有镇痛作用）
hormone [ˈhɔː(r)məʊn] 激素，荷尔蒙
vocalist [ˈvəʊkəlɪst] 歌唱家，歌手
out of tune [tjuːn] 走调的，跑调的
a wealth of 大量的，很多的
positive 积极面，正面，好处

🌟 更多英语听力和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】