Having the right tracks can keep your workout on track, because music wakes up your muscles. That motivational track tells your muscles to push just that little bit harder.
There is no perfect pump-up song and equally no perfect cool down tune, but there is a science behind making the most of your selected list, and it doesn’t matter whether your choice of music is rap, country, pop, drum and bass, country or classical.
However, a study from earlier this year found that songs with a heavy beat make you feel more powerful. And, there has been plenty of research supporting the weight loss power of music. Here are seven reasons why you should listen to music.
A 2010 study found that cyclists in a spin class actually cycle faster when listening to an upbeat tempo 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.
There are sites out there that advise you of the bpm so you don’t have to waste time counting each songs beat. Song bpm is just one of them.
For yoga, Pilates and other similar activities you may decide that you wish to play cappella music – music without words. Sometimes the words can be distracting so explore and experiment and try what works for you.
Further research has found that for athletes, listening to music helps to distract them from pain and less aware of their exertion, benefiting their athletic performance by up to 15 percent. 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, taking our mind off that side stitch
We have all been there in a class, when that song comes on and it just gets you ‘in the zone’ there is evidence as to why it works. We may be struggling to hold a posture in a Barre class, however a certain song might come on that we associate with memories, which allows us to relate to the context that we first heard them, watching a film, dancing at a festival. By channelling that memory helps us to boost the motivational power of the song and hold that Barre posture for another 5 seconds!
It’s been well proven that a good lullaby can send a baby off to sleep – well this is true for adults too. Listening to soothing music can help people with sleep disorders to relax and improve sleep quality.
The relaxing effect of a good song may help to release those feel- good chemicals in the brain, also if it is a gentle song, can help to lower the heart rate too.
Why not try it for yourself? Go for a soothing song that you like—specifically ones that have a slow rhythm of 60 to 80 BPM. If you are a Spotify user, search from some “sleep” playlists to help you snooze off to.
A research in August 2013 found that people often listen to music as a way to enhance their mood, listening to motivational tracks to help find self-awareness.
Participants in this study reported back that listening to music allowed them time to think and let their minds wander, escaping from the present.
Having a bad morning at work, use your tunes to escape the negativity and power through a lunchtime run or walk. You will return back to work feeling great all over.
“Can’t stop, can’t stop the feet
Won’t stop, won’t stop the beat and go”
As the Move Your Feet lyrics suggest, you really can’t stop the beat! Researchers have found that when music holds a good beat, the brain gets excited and induces some form of movement in the listener.
So no matter how much you’re dreading that run/ workout – you can rely on your playlist to help you move!
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.
General rule of thumb for beats:
Mental preparation: 90-100 bpm
Stretching/yoga: 100-110 bpm
Strength training: 110-130 bpm
Cardio: 120-140 bpm
You will struggle to find popular music that goes above 140 bpm but this is a ceiling guide so don’t panic. Happy by Pharrell, is one exception at 160 bpm (depending on the version) and some of the Latin music often has a fast beat. Don’t just use it for the beat, you also need to like it or it will have the reverse effect and mean that you become demotivated.
It is a proven fact that women use a beat to work out to more than men. As this is the case, then surely if you have a play list that is organised and calculated then we can get greater results. Jiggle with your lists. Make up several, maybe for different days or different activities.
Let us know what your favourite motivating songs are so that we can try to include them in our class playlists at The View studio, St. Andrews. For your personal playlists find the right beat for you, the songs that motivate you and that you enjoy. Have some fun and trial and error with different tracks and orders.
