Why listening to music will make your workout better
Exercising.
We know we gotta do it, but it can be really hard to get motivated to go to the gym.
Especially when you’ve had a long day and all you wanna do is watch your favourite show
and order a pizza.
Been there.
But you’re committed and you do, eventually make it to the gym!
(Go you!)
Once you’re there what’s the first thing that you do?
Que up your best work-out-playlist of course!
There’s nothing better than a great song to get you fired up, and keep your momentum
going while you crush those calories.
Actually, there are lots of benefits to cranking up the jams while working out and science
is here to prove it.
Today, we’re gonna reveal the secret as to why you should turn the music up, (or down)
during your next workout!
But first, before you start to sweat it out, why not smash that subscribe button and hit
the notification bell too.
Because you’ll want to know ASAP how we’re gonna improve your next workout!
Working out isn’t always the most fun thing to do, but it’s really good for you.
Besides your Bestie is here to make it easier, keep watching for all our tips on why listening
to your favourite music makes working out way better:
Reason #1 Motivation.
Ugh, it’s gym day.
You’ve promised yourself that you would be good, and go to that yoga class, or get
in a quick 5K before dinner.
But alas, you can’t seem to find your “get up and go”.
Well, music to the rescue!
A study published in SCIENCE DIRECT revealed that turning on the music while you’re getting
ready to leave the house can really inspire you!
You don’t have to wait until you get to the gym to start listening to your workout
playlist, putting on a great tune will put you in the mood to get your sweat on!
Reason #2 Performance enhancing (In a natural way of
course).
There’s always a point where you feel like you’ve plateaued.
It happens to everyone, and it’s especially noticeable when it comes to working out.
It’s also pretty frustrating.
You’re doing everything you should be doing, but maybe all you need is just a little extra
push.
Music might just be able to give you that push, but it’s gotta be a song that really
gets you going!
PUBMED put out a study that shows folks put more effort into their workouts while listening
to music, but without music they found the workout to be more unpleasant and harder.
Not only that, but multiple studies have found that picking music you like can really boost
your performance and make your session feel easier without feeling like you’re working
harder.
Uhh yeah, sign us up!
Reason #3 Music makes you feel awesome.
We have another video dedicated to this topic so if you want to dive in further, make sure
you check it out.
But trust us when we say, music does affect your mood, and has the real ability to make
you feel amazing.
Which can be beneficial when you’re trying to work off those extra morning doughnuts
you had this week.
Hey, no judgement they’re delicious.
Music plays an important role in pumping you up, and there’s no formula for the perfect
playlist.
It all depends on you!
The type of music you like, and what memories or feelings are attached to those specific
songs.
Keep in mind tempo and volume can also play a role, but basically you need to create a
playlist for no one else but you!
Reason #4 Music makes you feel calm.
Ok we just need to elaborate a little bit on how music can play a role in not only pumping
you up, but calming you down.
Have a big game coming up this week?
Or how about that marathon you signed up for?
Those are stressful situations.
Listening to music that is relaxing can help keep the nerves at bay when you’re waiting
to start the race.
And it can help minimize the anxiety you feel before heading off to that really intense
workout class, and mostly just gets you out of your head according to THE JOURNAL OF APPLIED
SPORT AND PSYCHOLOGY.
Reason #5 Better Coordination.
It all starts with a beat.
Even if you’re not that musically inclined, having a rhythm to focus on can benefit your
workout.
HEALTHLINE references a study saying that listening to a personal playlist increases
activity in the brain around the areas responsible for coordination movements.
Which when you think about it, moving to a beat would make any aerobics or spin class
much easier to follow.
Reason #6 Take it to the limit.
That’s right, music can help you smash your workout goals by distracting you from your
increased exertion.
That means that you can work out for longer, and get better results without feeling too
tired, or like you’re putting that much extra effort into it.
However music can’t work miracles, and sooner or later your body’s need for oxygen will
drown out the song.
THE US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE says “once your heart rate reaches the anaerobic zone
music stops being effective.”
Which is probably a good thing, you don’t want to over-do it anyway.
Reason #7 It makes going to the gym more fun.
And who doesn’t want that?
Sometimes taking care of your physical health can be the last thing you want to do today.
Somedays you just don’t feel like working out, but knowing you can have some “you
time” and put on on a bunch of your favourite songs in a row can be just the inspiration
you need to get going.
Just make sure you don’t forget your headphones.
Reason #8 Distraction is good, but not too much.
Music makes breaking a sweat more fun, that’s for sure and it can really help you reach
your fitness goals.
However, one thing you want to be careful of is becoming too engrossed in the music
you’re listening to.
It happens, and it can have some damaging effects when it comes to working out.
That’s why it’s important to do a body check in if you’ve got the music cranked
to 11.
During your session, make sure you turn down the music, take a small break and take a moment
to assess how your body is feeling.
It helps to turn down the music if you need to focus on a difficult move as well, you
don’t want to pull something!
Reason #9 It keeps it interesting.
When it comes to fine tuning your workout, music can be an essential player.
It’ll take a few times to get it perfect, but figuring out what songs really move you
is part of the fun.
You have a workout routine, and having a playlist that matches it at a healthy pace (warming
up, ramping up, and cooling down) can really be the key to achieving your dream bod.
So try experimenting with different styles of music, and let your playlist surprise,
and in turn motivate you!
Reason #10 It’ll improve your running cadence.
Wait….what’s a running cadence?
Well it’s different for everyone depending on your height, weight, and the basic measurements
of your legs, but the cadence is the stride rate or the number of steps a runner takes
per minute.
According to WAHOO FITNESS “The shorter your stride length and the quicker your stride
rate, the faster and better you run.”
Seems pretty relevant.
Putting on a song that’s just a little bit faster than your normal stride rate will help
you keep up with that particular tempo, and increase your cadence.
Reason #11 Recovery.
This is essential to any workout.
You warm up, so make sure you cool down after a great work out sesh.
To bring your heart rate down, why not end off with some slower, more relaxing songs.
It’ll help you recover and bring your heartrate back down to normal faster.
According to researchers at the JOURNAL OF DENTAL AND MEDICAL SCIENCES, slow paced music
lowers blood pressure, slows the heart rate and quickens recovery time.
They added that the recovery time while listening to slow songs is actually faster than listening
to nothing, or fast music.
For those of you who don’t think the “cool down” portion is all that necessary, PLOS
ONE discovered that soothing songs can reduce cardiac stress which makes for a faster recovery.
This means you’ll be able to hit the gym way sooner, and you won’t be as sore afterwards
which is a huge bonus!
So, to end off your perfect workout playlist, make sure to add in a couple slower paced
songs, so you cool down properly.
Reason #12 Music isn’t magic.
So you finally make it to the guy and...OH NO...you forgot your tunes!?
Say it ain’t so!!
Hey, don’t sweat it, it’s actually beneficial, and kinda nice to listen to your body every
now and again too.
Plus music can’t work miracles, there is a limit on how effective music can be when
it comes to your workouts.
Music can help your mental state, sure, but it can’t physically make you stronger (not
even if the song is called stronger, sorry birtney spears).
It has no real effect on endurance and again, once you get into the anaerobic zone or your
max heart rate, there’s only so much a great song can do.
That’s why it’s a good idea to keep updating your playlist with new tunes that will continue
to inspire and motivate.
You don’t want your workout to get stale, or to seem longer than it is, right?
So why not try swapping playlist ideas with your pals, if nothing else you’ll get a
kick out of their musical tastes.
Finally, music may not be a get-fit-quick scheme, but it can still transform a miserable
gym session into something you’re excited about.
From motivation, to enhanced performance, and faster recovery time music can have real,
positive effect on the mind and body!
So don’t be afraid to pump up the volume when you’re pumping iron!
And that’s it!
Did we inspire you to get out there and get healthy?
Do you already have a workout playlist that you love?
Do you find music helps you when you’re breaking a sweat or is it too distracting?
Why not let us know in the comments section below all your favourite workout songs, so
you and your fellow bestie viewers can have the best gym playlist ever!