Whether it's a carol service or an evening of karaoke in the pub, many people will enjoy a good old singsong this Christmas. Singing aloud will not just lift the spirits---it's good for your physical health as well. Filling the lungs with air, increasing the heart rate and getting blood pumping round the body faster can all help our physical health. For the past few years Heart Research UK has been Funding a Christmas campaign aimed at getting people singing, simply for the benefit it can bring. The organizer of the campaign says singing is a safe, simple and social activity that everyone can enjoy. "Singing is linked to long life, stress reduction, and general health protection. It also brings a great amount of happiness. It is impossible to sing well with a long face because it affects your pitch ." Professor Graham Welch, who leads the International Music Education Research Centre at the University of London, has spent more than 30 years studying the effects of singing. He says that singing is a form of exercise. It means we're also having a strong aerobic activity when we're singing, which results in increasing the feeling of pleasure while decreasing that of stress. "And communal singing--like in a singing group, a church service or even a singsong in the pub--helps improve our sense of self-respect. It increases our sense of satisfaction with ourselves, a greater sense of feeling included. " Helen Astrid, a singing teacher, also sees the great effects that singing brings. "It lifts us up on a spiritual level, it helps our self-respect, and it's great for all ages from small kids to grannies--you can have a good sing and _ ." But she warns people not to have too many beers or glasses of wine, though a glass may help them gather courage before taking to the stage during the holidays. Heart Research UK holds a campaign to   _  .
encourage people to sing for God at Christmas study the effects of singing on people get people to sing and improve their health bring happiness to people during holidays