The Wonder of Music
- Linda T Gottlieb, MA, CPT, CE
- Oct 30, 2019
- 1 min read
Did you know that listening to music while exercising doesn’t just relieve boredom — it can help improve the quality of your workout by increasing your stamina and putting you in a better mood.
In particular, music that is motivational or synchronized with your exercise is shown to have physical and psychological effects.
When a song has a strong, steady beat, for example, you can pedal or run to the beat of that music, which tends to feel satisfying and may inspire you to exercise more. The lyrics or catchy rhythm of motivational music inspires you to exercise longer or work harder during your exercise routine.
Studies show that faster-paced music tends to help improve athletic performance when a person engages in low-to-moderate level exercise, either by increasing distance travelled, pace, or repetitions completed.
For example, a 2006 study that looked at the effect of music on the selection of treadmill speed found that while listening to fast-paced music, participants increased their pace and distance travelled without becoming more tired.
Other studies drew similar conclusions, suggesting that listening to music with more beats per minute can enhance physical performance during low-to-moderate level exercise.*
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*National Center for Health Research