Pumping Up the Volume: How Music Promotes Efficient Exercise

Whether you love hitting the gym, going for bike rides, or jogging outdoors, listening to music while working out significantly improves your exercise productivity. By creating the perfect mix of your favorite, upbeat songs and power tracks, you can actually feel more energized, allowing you to lift heavier, bike farther, or jog longer.

Based on an a studyconducted by researchers at California State University, Fullerton, people who workout with music are more engaged and motivated compared to those who don’t. Apparently, this is because athletes were able to distract themselves from feeling muscle fatigue,  hence allowing themselves to exert more effort without even feeling the difference.

If you exercise outdoors, bring your mp3 player to musically inspire you. If you're a gym rat, most fitness centers already play music in the exercise rooms. However, it would still be better if you brought your own choice of tunes. This way, you can customize your tracks, and make sure that you keep up a high level of energy.

Creating the Perfect Playlist

When it comes to making the perfect workout playlist, some people tend to turn technical and start talking about specific beats per minute (bpm). This can help if you've got the time and patience to understand it, but the easiest way to build an effective workout playlist is to simply load it up with tunes you love. After all, researchers do agree that motivational music differs from one person to another. If you are able to groove to the music, then you've got a good playlist.

You can also consider some all-time favorites or power songs to add to your workout playlist. Examples include tracks from the Rocky soundtracks, Black Sabbath's "Iron Man", and select Michael Jackson songs like "Beat It", "Thriller", and "Billie Jean". They're not a necessity, but adding them wouldn’t hurt. Combine these tracks with your favorite songs and you can bet on getting that energy boost you need when exercising.

You can even plan the playlist according to your exercise routine. For example, you can begin with songs ideal for warming up, followed by a faster set of tunes for the more intense parts of your program. Don't forget to end the session with the perfect cool down track. By following this, you may find yourself actually moving to the beat of your music – a sure sign that your playlist is working for you.

What songs are a must for you when you go out to exercise? Feel free to share your ideas – we'd love to hear from you!

Tagged as: gym, iRenew, jogging, running, workout, workout music 1 Comment