Since aerobic dance was introduced in the early 70’s, it has been thought that exercise accompanied with music can enhance your overall workout experience. Listening to music while you exercise may improve your fitness, commitment, and enjoyment.

According to doctors and researchers, you can increase your motivation and concentration and decrease your conscious effort when you exercise by simply adding great music to your work out. Studies have shown that listening to music during exercise can improve results, both in terms of being a motivator (people exercise longer and more vigorously to music) and as a distraction from negatives like fatigue. Researches revealed that more positive affect of a workout is observed during the music condition in comparison to the ‘no music’ condition. Here are some benefits of playing music while working out:

• Music diverts a person’s attention in repetitive exercises thus the feeling of fatigue, exhaustion and boredom are evaded.
• Music can reduce the factors contributing to pain, tension, anxiety and discomfort.
• Music can act as a stimulant which can increase your performance. Respiration and cardiac rate is increased from music. This can help you intensify your workout.
• The body movement to rhythm of music increases levels of output.
• The rhythmical qualities can follow the physical skills and can improve motor skills. Swimming and gymnastics are good examples of this.
• Physical strength can also be attributed with type of music. Sedative music decreases muscular potential training ability. Fast stimulating music can increase in muscle tension.
• It promotes a positive mood and avoids any kind of negative thoughts.
• It can make a workout fun, interesting and something to look forward too.

Match your workout intensity with beats per minute!

 Here is my Spotify playlist! 

Sources:

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/musicexercise.html

Jane Schwartz Harrison, RD, Staff Nutritionist, myOptumHealth

LifeMojo Team / March 14, 2009