We believe in the healing powers of music, and we've put together custom playlists for working out (croon your way through those 10,000 steps a day) and relaxing (the right tunes can enhance meditation) at www.realage.com. Music is so powerful a therapeutic tool that it's used to treat abused children, trauma survivors, and those in hospice care. We know learning to play an instrument — as a child or a senior — fires up neural pathways that improve memory and other mental powers. But what about the benefits of karaoke, the last refuge of the musically hopeful?

Singing (on key or off) improves breathing, and that's good for many parts of your body and brain. According to a recent Japanese study (of course!), the benefits of karaoke are far-reaching. Singing Sinatra or even Aerosmith relieves stress and boosts self-esteem and confidence, while also building social connections — all major life extenders. And families that karaoke together? They build bonds and banish conflict.

True, there have not been studies on how karaoke affects listeners, but we do know that listening to joyful music (and what's joyful is always a personal opinion) reduces blood pressure. So if you enjoy what you're singing or what you're listening to, we say be a rock star or a lounge lizard (at home or at the hotel out by the freeway) and embrace karaoke.

Bonus tip: Five best movies with karaoke scenes? "Duets," "A Life Less Ordinary," "Rush Hour 2," "P.S. I Love You," and "When Harry Met Sally."


© 2012 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.