Workout Music: Why is it Effective?

When at the gym or in a fitness class, headphones and stereos are a common sight. People enjoy listening to upbeat, bouncy music while working out as almost a necessity. But why? What about music inspires us to work harder and feel stronger? In this post I'll be talking about why workout music is effective!

Distraction

Working out is hard, but music distracts people from the physical pain. Since it makes them less aware of this exertion, so they can work harder and for longer than they could without the music. You might be surprised with how hard you can push yourself! In fact, such a distraction can increase athletic performance by up to 15%, as reported by The Guardian. Sometimes we don't even realize how hard we're working when the beat drops!

Setting a Pace

 Ever start to slow down when you start get tired? The continuous beat of a good workout song stimulates the motor areas of your brain, making it easier to keep a pace! The ideal bpm (beats per minute) of a song varies for the kind of workout you're doing. Most people use songs with strong beats at 120bpm for a hard workout. If you're a runner, try to find music that matches the cadence of your pace. 160-180bpm is perfect. In a 2012 study by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University, cyclists who pedaled in time to music needed 7% less oxygen than other cyclists. Syncing your movements to music might help how efficiently the body uses energy: keeping a steady pace, reducing false steps while running, and overall decreasing how much energy is used. 

Changing Your Mood

Everyone knows that music has the ability to invoke happiness, excitement, sadness, anger, anxiety, and more. Working out to music you can relate to will give you a cathartic outlet for these emotions. Personally, I think that the best kind of music to listen to when working out is music that makes you feel invigorated and excited. You can channel these feelings into pushing yourself to get those last few reps or run that last kilometre!  

Primal Association

Why is it that music makes humans want to move? Some people think it could be an inheritance from back before synthesizers. For all of human history before the 70's, music was created by movement. From beating drums to the strumming of guitars, music has always been tied to motion. It is possible that over time, the brain has evolved to associate music with motion. Think of when you hear a song you like and you start tapping your foot without even thinking about it; this could be tied to ancient times when music was created by stomping on the ground and hitting rocks together.

We can use this to our advantage! No matter how much you're dreading your workout, a playlist of good workout songs will make you move! I find that when I listen to my favourite songs, I get so inspired  that I have no choice but to dance around my room. With the emotion that music gives us, we can unleash all our strength into pushing ourselves our hardest, while being distracted from the pain. Music is key in staying motivated during workouts; it helps you keep going even when you feel tired, because in the moment, there is no amount of pain that can stop you from reaching your goals!

Workout music is so effective in improving performance that USA Track and Field (a governing body for long-distance racing) banned portable music players "to ensure safety and to prevent runners from having a competitive edge." It's like a performance-enhancing drug. Next time you're working out and start to feel like you can't do anymore, just remember to get lost in the music and push yourself. That's how you really make the most of a workout.