Singing, whether in the shower or the garage, can be one of life's pleasures. It can help to mitigate stress and anxiety. And the good news is singing is considered an aerobic activity that helps burn calories.
Expert Insight
According to University of London professor Graham Welch, who has studied the health benefits of singing, it, ". . . increases oxygenation in the bloodstream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body, even when sitting."
Calories Burned
While all factors need to be considered, including type of song, such as rock or ballad, the exertion level and height and weight of the singer, the number of calories burned per song is about 10 to 20, according to Trends in Japan. Taking an average of 15 calories per song at three minutes each, a 165-pound person can burn about 300 calories per hour. The same person would burn about 445 calories in an hour of jogging.
Fun Fact
In 1999, a Japanese company called Daiichikosho jumped on the calorie-counting bandwagon and began marketing software that measured the number of calories burned while singing karaoke. To conduct the tests, the company got help from fitness experts and researchers and came up with a formula based on the singer's pitch and the song's tempo. The research showed slow, romantic tunes provided the least amount of exercise.
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