Are you the type of person who needs the music blaring to get through a workout routine? It’s not all in your head, listening to music has a number of benefits when working out.
Studies have found that listening to music helps distract athletes from their “bodily awareness“. In other words, music helps us block out pain and exhaustion. Here are seven reasons to get your workout playlist ready.
Provides a distraction
As we previously mentioned, music helps provide a great distraction during a workout. The study found that it made participants less aware of their exertion. Some research finding music benefits athletic performance by up to 15%.
Helps increase your effort
Do you feel that extra prep in your step when your favourite song comes on? Music can help encourage you to work a little harder, often without you realising. But the tempo is important, songs between 120 and 140 beats per minute (bpm) have the most effect on effort.
Puts you in ‘the zone’
We all have that one song that really puts us in ‘the zone’ to get stuff done. Whether it’s ‘Bootylicious’ or ‘Don’t stop me now’ when it comes on your focus is laser sharp. Channelling a memory associated with that song or the emotion of the singer helps boost motivational power and improve your physical performance.
Helps keep the pace
Honestly, is there a better feeling than hitting the pavement when the beat drops? Well, yes there definitely is, but it still feels pretty great. Timing your run or cycle to the beat helps set the rhythm of your workout. This stimulates the brain and aids in self-paced exercises.
Boosts your mood
Music naturally boosts dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centres. It affects emotions, movements and sensations to pleasure or pain. During a workout music may help release a hit of dopamine and release a feeling of well-being. Combine this with the serotonin from exercise and you’ll be feeling pretty damn fly.
Beats the clock
Nothing is worse than looking down at the clock on the treadmill or your watch and realising it’s only been 35 seconds since you started running (seriously, how?!). Listening to good music helps distract you from clock watching and make the workout feel like it’s going a lot faster.
Makes exercise more fun
As the Hairspray song says, you can’t stop the beat! Music with ‘high groove’ quality excites the brain and induces movement. So you really can’t stop yourself from having fun and moving when the hits keep playing.