Visit any local running route or gym and you’ll see people exercising with the help of little white gadgets. The rise in the popularity of super-slim iPods has seen more and more people turn to their favourite tunes as a way to boost their moves. What fantastic technology to be able to have all your best workout tracks ready at the click of a wheel? But what is research showing about music as an exercise aid? And what should you consider to help get in the groove?
Gear up
Motivational music, like the theme song from Rocky, is the perfect way to psych you up, get your mind pumped and your body ready for that flight of activity you’re about to undertake. Music alters arousal levels and is therefore used by athletes and sportspeople as a form of stimulant prior to competition. On the flipside, slower types of music can be used as a sedative to calm over-anxious athletes who need to maintain a serene state to perform at their peak.
In the zone
It’s no surprise to hear that research has shown the right music helps spur you on by getting your mind and body in the right zone. During a repetitive, moderate to intense activity like running, music can narrow your attention and as a consequence, divert attention away from the sensations of fatigue. Many marathon runners and triathletes refer to this technique as dissociation, and during an event revert to things like mental arithmetic when there are no tunes to take over.
Rhythm counts
The right type of music will differ between types of activity and workouts. Ideally, go for tunes that have strong rhythmic qualities and a tempo which matches your predicted workout heart rate. Pick hits that you love and that are more likely to promote a positive mood state so you’ll experience increased vigor. If you can find lyrics that spur you on, that’s even better — anything along the lines of “move your body” usually does the trick.
Brain power boost
Research from Ohio State University suggests that working out to music may give exercisers a cognitive boost. They found that listening to music while exercising helped to increase scores on a verbal fluency test among cardiac rehabilitation patients.
The researchers asked participants to complete a verbal fluency test before and after two separate sessions of exercising on a treadmill while listening to Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’. The workouts were scheduled a week apart and lasted about 30 minutes each.
The researchers proposed that the combination of music and exercise may stimulate and increase cognitive arousal via working on different pathways in the brain, while at the same time helping to organise cognitive output.
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