Music comes in various genres. It can make us laugh or cry, happy or sad, relaxed or energetic. So how can music play a role in boosting output during training? If selected thoughtfully, the music on your workout playlist can motivate, inspire and have a powerful impact on the intensity and outcome of your session. This article will discuss why the music we listen to during our workouts is important and how it influences our overall performance.
Increases Pain Threshold
Studies have shown that listening to your favourite tunes while you train can create distraction and delay feelings of fatigue. This lowers a person’s perceived rate of exertion therefore elevating athletic performance by up to 15%. Music has also been shown to increase levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. These chemicals have a feel good effect allowing you to push beyond your previous pain threshold. This will accelerate your fitness, meaning you can achieve results sooner.
Enhances Mood
If chosen wisely the music on your playlist can increase feelings of pleasure. Music can alter thought processes and cause a change in behaviour. This makes you engage in thoughts about who you are, who you want to be and encourages a positive mindset. Summed up this basically means your workouts will become more enjoyable, consequently increasing your desire to partake in exercise on a more regular basis and making it part of your daily routine. Finding enjoyment in your training can further decrease stress and increase happiness. These elements will aid in your ability to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Improves Speed and Tempo
Speed and tempo are two important components of your training session. They help to create intensity within your session and will alter depending on the goal of each particular workout. Music can help you set and maintain speed and tempo from the outset all the way through to the conclusion of the session. Obviously your music selection needs to match the workout in order for it to achieve the desired result. There is no point playing slow, relaxing music if you’re planning on smashing out a HIIT circuit. Studies have identified that songs between 120-140bpm have the best effect on moderate exercise so use this as a guide to help you construct and appropriate playlist.
Faster Recovery
There is some evidence to suggest that the right music could also help your body recover faster and reduce post exercise cardiac stress. This is a result of music’s impact on your autonomic nervous system, this includes both the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous systems. This is partly due to the fact that music can aid in the return of a normal pre-workout blood pressure and heart rate plus help the body in the dispersion of waste such as lactic acid.
It just goes to show that music has quite a substantial impact on both our physical and mental response to exercise and recovery. Capitalising on its influence can mean you get the most out of each session, amplifying your overall results. Remember that everyone has different goals and therefore takes part in varying types of exercise at varying levels of intensity. This means you shouldn’t be afraid of trialling a few different playlists so you can find the one that best suits your style of training.
xx Tara
What do you listen to when you’re working out? Let me know in the comment section below. Join our PAC and book in a time to see the gym and chat about your health and fitness goals.
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