Singing is good for our lungs

If you've ever led a warm-up on a grey Tuesday evening and watched a room full of tired faces slowly come alive, you already know singing does something to us. We stand a little taller. We breathe a little deeper. By the end of the session, people are chatting and laughing in a way they weren't when they walked in.

It turns out there's good science behind that feeling, especially when it comes to our lungs.

What happens when we sing

Everyday breathing is quick and shallow. We don't think about it, and most of the time we only use the top part of our lungs.

Singing asks for something different. To hold a phrase, we take a fuller breath, lower down, using the diaphragm (the big dome-shaped muscle under the ribs). Then we let that air out slowly and steadily, so it lasts to the end of the line. We also tend to stand or sit more upright, which gives the lungs more room to work.

In other words, every rehearsal is a gentle breathing workout in disguise. Nobody has to count reps or watch a clock; the music does the work for us.

What the research says

This isn't just a nice idea. Researchers in the UK and beyond have been looking closely at singing and lung health for over a decade.

• Singing for Lung Health. The British Lung Foundation (now part of Asthma + Lung UK) runs singing groups for people with lung conditions. An evaluation of 228 singers across 26 groups found that after 12 weeks, people reported a better quality of life with their breathing, and needed less healthcare. (Imperial College London)
• Singing over Zoom works too. A trial led by Monash University and the University of Cambridge gave people with COPD and other lung diseases 12 weeks of online group singing, with songs like Let It Be. Those who sang scored noticeably higher on quality-of-life measures than those who didn't, and the more sessions people attended, the bigger the difference. (Capital FM)
• Benefits that last. Research from Canterbury Christ Church University with singing groups in South London found people with COPD had fewer symptoms, and their lung function and exercise ability held steady over six to ten months of regular singing. (Canterbury Christ Church University)

A quick, honest note: most of this research measures how people feel and cope, rather than proving that singing repairs the lungs themselves. Researchers are still running larger trials to learn more. And singing is a lovely addition to medical care, never a replacement for it.

It's not only about the lungs

Asthma + Lung UK point out that singing releases endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Add in the friendships, the cups of tea, and the shared pride of getting a tricky harmony right, and it's no wonder people keep coming back.

For anyone living with a long-term condition, that sense of belonging matters. Breathlessness can be isolating. A choir is a place where you're simply one of the singers.

A few breath-friendly ideas for your next rehearsal

You don't need special training to make your warm-ups a little kinder to the lungs:

• Start with a sigh. A big, relaxed breath in and a long, audible sigh out helps everyone let go of the day.
• Hiss on an "sss". Breathe in, then let the air out slowly on a hiss. See if the group can make it last a little longer each week.
• Lip trills. Bubbling the lips like a motorboat keeps the airflow steady and usually gets a laugh, too.
• Check posture. Feet grounded, shoulders soft, chest open. Seated singers count just as much as standing ones.
• Make it easy to rest. Let people know it's fine to sit down, skip a phrase, or take an extra breath whenever they need to.

If you'd like to go further, Asthma + Lung UK has information about its Singing for Lung Health groups, which are led by specially trained leaders.

Keep singing

Every time your choir meets, you're giving people more than songs. You're giving them deeper breaths, a lift in mood, and a room full of friends. That's something worth celebrating, and something worth telling the world about.

So the next time someone asks why you sing, you can tell them: it's good for our lungs.