BLOG 75 MUSIC & EXERCISE

BLOG 75 MUSIC & EXERCISE

The sweats dripping, the music is pumping and you are in the workout zone. Music practically coincides with exercise. It’s a sin to forget your headphones when going to the gym. Having the latest mix on your ipod is important right?? In fact, music has been shown to enhance your workout. This is no new music to your ears (cheesy pun I know) that it’s a great distraction, but let’s take a look at how good tunes impact our exercise regime. 

Music is a good distraction. We don’t want to actually FEEL the burn haha. When we are clenching our face, pushing through the pain, and trying to catch our breath, music has the power of masking these feelings from being full throttle. In fact, “And a recent study found that not just listening, but controlling and creating music in time to one’s pace had an even more profound effect on perceived effort during a workout” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/why-exercise-workout-music-playlist_n_4173931.html). Adding to this, “While the study did suggest there’s more to it than distraction, working out with music did make participants less aware of their exertion. Such a distraction can benefit athletic performance by up to 15 percent, The Guardian reported. The faster the better, according to WebMD: Upbeat tunes have more information for our brains to process, which takes your mind off of that side stitch” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/why-exercise-workout-music-playlist_n_4173931.html). 

Simply put, “Music distracts people from pain and fatigue, elevates mood, increases endurance, reduces perceived effort and may even promote metabolic efficiency. When listening to music, people run farther, bike longer and swim faster than usual—often without realizing it” (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/). 

Most folks aren’t listening to classical or jazz when working out. It’s usually faster, louder, and attention grabbing. Up tempo with steady beats per minute tend to get the blood pumping and motivation switch turned on. For example, “A 2010 study found that cyclists actually worked harder when listening to faster music as compared to music at a slower tempo. But too fast is no good, either. Songs between 120 and 140 beats per minute (bpm) have the maximum effect on moderate exercisers” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/why-exercise-workout-music-playlist_n_4173931.html). We channel our inner Rocky and feel empowered to work hard. Our mood become WORKOUT MODE. After a day at work or when trying to wake up, music can uplift our mind and get the engine revved up. Therefore, “The rhythm of your workout music stimulates the motor area of the brain as to when to move, thereby aiding self-paced exercises such as running or weight-lifting. Clueing into these time signals helps us use our energy more efficiently, since keeping a steady pace is easier on our bodies than fluctuating throughout a sweat session” ((http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/why-exercise-workout-music-playlist_n_4173931.html). 

We like to groove to the beat, so no wonder we like to move to the beat of music. It doesn’t have to be blasting or thumping, but we can all agree working out and music go hand and hand. I certainly love to read, but when I’m on the treadmill my head is bobbing too much to enjoy the book but I definitely need a distraction like music.  I prefer oldies and 80s. What’s your preference?? There’s a Pandora station for every BODY at the studio. Hey maybe we can Soul Train next session for our warm up haha.