Did you know singing helps keep your brain in tune?

An ongoing study by George Washington University and the National Endowment for the Arts is tracking adults ages 65 to 100 as they participate in community arts programs.

Here’s one of the key findings: Senior adults who participate in a choir fare better than senior adults who do not participate in a choir. The singing seniors are physically healthier, experience fewer falls and fewer doctor visits, are more socially involved, less depressed and in better spirits.

The story was reported in a recent issue of U.S. News and World Report. The magazine quoted Eric Roter, a physician and cellist who tracks the connections between health and music: “Singing is a very physical process, and when you’re making your music, your body responds as if you were giving it a physical workout.”

Learn more about these connections at Roter’s website: www.ermusic.org.

And if you want to start getting in a little musical exercise for better health, January is a good time to join a choir at Wilshire:

• Sanctuary Choir meets every Wednesday at 7 pm. New members and visitors are always welcome.
• Youth Choir meets every Sunday at 4:45 p.m.. New members and visitors are always welcome.
• Children’s choirs meet every Wednesday at 6 p.m. New members and visitors are always welcome.
• New Song, Wilshire’s senior adult choir, meets every Wednesday at 10 a.m. New members and visitors are always welcome.