You’ve scheduled a hardcore gym session tonight, but you really don’t feel the love. A great solution is to crank up the volume in your phone for a better, more enjoyable workout. It is worth noting that the moderately active individuals who listen to their self-selected music, especially during HIIT, tend to enjoy the workout more, and work harder physically, too.
Exercisers and researchers have long known that listening to music while exercising alters the experience considerably. Earlier studies indicate that brisk music options inspire briskly paced workout routines, and music can also calm nerves and distract competitors before a racing competition or other high-pressure situation.
Below we discover how workout music will help you crush your workouts:
Music offers you a good kind of distraction
People who work out while listening to music are less aware of their physical and mental exertion in the gym. This kind of distraction is beneficial, as it helps to boost performance by as much as 15 percent. The faster the music, the better. The more upbeat tunes present the human brain with more information to process. As a result, your mind will be taken off that side stitch.
Check out Aaptiv’s music behind all our workouts. We’ll have you loving working out again – download Aaptiv here.
Ups your physical effort
A study conducted in 2010 discovered that cyclists worked harder while listening to higher tempo music, as compared to the lower tempo ones. Even so, listening to music that is too fast isn’t good either. Note that songs with a tempo between 120-140 BPM (beats per minute) produce a maximum effect, especially for the moderate exercisers.
Helps you maintain focus
Listening to your favorite music can help you be in the zone and keeps you there. Wearing headphones as you work also signals to other participants that you are serious about your workout and do not intend to waste time socializing. It’ll let them know that you are only keen to get in your exercise. Glen Parry from Audio Mastered says the best headphones for lifting are the Mpow Flames, due to the incredible price point and a great balance of quality and functionality.
A good beat helps you keep up the pace
The rhythm of any workout music helps to stimulate your brain’s motor area to guide you on when to move, thus aiding the self-paced exercises including weight lifting and running. By clueing into the time signals, you get to use your energy in a more efficient way, because it is easier to maintain a steady pace than to fluctuate through a strenuous, sweaty session.
Elevates your mood
By listening to music, you can find self-awareness and change your mood. No matter what you experienced an hour ago, your favorite tunes allow you to escape negativity while powering you through a rigorous workout. How come? Fitness trainer and mindfulness guide Miriam Amselem says music naturally boosts dopamine, which activates our brain’s reward system. This gives us an extra shot of goodness, producing those feel-good vibes throughout our practice. As Amselem explains, fitness also boosts serotonin, a mood-boosting neurotransmitter. So, what happens when you put ‘em together? “The combination of dopamine and serotonin at the same time is a win-win for happiness,” she adds.
Makes the workout go by faster
Ever begin your sweat session and can’t help but look at the clock every passing minute? Being bored during a workout is bad news for your attention span—and for the likelihood that you’ll finish the routine. Amselem says a solution for making time go by faster as you sprint, burpee, push-up, and mountain climb is picking a song that you can’t get enough of. “While listening to their favorite lyrics, many people that work out sing along during the workout, which can help time fly by and can also help with breathing,” she explains.
Makes you want to work out for longer
Some days you feel on top of the world and ready to push through a personal record, while other days you really can’t be bothered to give anything but the bare minimum. If you want to improve the time you give to fitness, Health Coach Stacy Caprio says music could be the hidden solution. “Music helps you exercise longer, because it gives your brain something to focus on other than your body’s physical exertion or pain,” she explains. “The tempo of music helps your body keep a steady rhythm while exercising, which conserves energy and lets you go for longer, as well. Music is a great way to keep your exercise steady and going for a longer amount of time than if you were simply exercising in silence.”
Helps you to get up off the couch
To work out—or to watch Netflix? The answer lies in your playlist, according to Caprio. After all, when you hear that song that gets your heart racing, your foot tapping, and your mouth wording lyrics, you’ll feel ready to conquer the world. “Music is a great motivation to begin exercise,” she continues. “Starting with an upbeat song is a great way to dive into your daily exercise routine and get your body going, even if you were sedentary before diving in. Music keeps you upbeat and going throughout your workout as well, and is a great motivator not only at the beginning but throughout your workout.”
It’s evident that music is a fantastic addition to a gym session. Listening to music while you work out is beneficial in many ways as it helps you keep up the pace of your workout, provides a good distraction, elevates your mood, and helps you focus. So, before you hit the gym for an intensive workout, remember to listen to your favorite music. Or, you can have workouts that have music built in, with the Aaptiv fitness app.