I love music of all genres and my fitness classes always feature and are based around wonderful music all the way through. From Big Bands to Rock and Roll, Classical, Jazz, Pop and Country; exercising to great music is fun, motivating, more enjoyable and helps you keep in time!
But beyond the fun, you may be surprised to learn that there are many scientific reasons why music and exercise go so well together. There is a wealth of research on the impact of music on exercise and some of the results and are quite remarkable.
Music can positively affect your mood, decrease perceived effort, increase endurance and make exercise more efficient when synchronized with movement. For decades, scientists have been investigating the influence of music on exercise performance and they have found considerable benefits.
Music can enhance physical performance
We all know that listening to an upbeat song can help to get us going during an exercise class but there’s a reason why. Music can actually boost our physical performance because it helps to increase output. When listening to music, your body naturally wants to move with the beat and pace in the song, meaning that you will naturally want to move your body to the beat and ultimately be inspired to move.
You will naturally boost happiness
Music naturally boosts dopamine, the neurotransmitter that drives your brain’s reward system. Listening to music during a session can give you dopamine, resulting in feelings of well-being. At the same time, exercise boosts serotonin, a mood-boosting neurotransmitter, so the combination of music and exercise will do wonders for your happiness.
Reduce stress
Research shows that listening to music can reduce stress levels. Listening to the right music during a stretch, such as slow tempo and soft or no lyrics, can help you wind down and carry the relaxing benefits with you through the rest of your day.
Studies have repeatedly shown that music has the power to make us feel good by triggering positive feelings and helping us to remember good memories, and this has something to do with how music helps us during a workout.
You will work harder
Music influences you to work harder without you even realising it. Music can reduce the perception of effort significantly and increase endurance by as much as 15 percent.
Exercise seems easier
Music can make exercise seem easier because it helps us to zone out from the effort and focus on the good side. This has a big benefit, it makes us feel more motivated to exercise again. By listening to music, we create a positive association with exercise in our brains. This positive association makes the whole process of deciding to exercise a whole lot easier in the future, as we don’t have any potential negative associations of exercise pulling us back.
Music improves physiological efficiency
This means that music helps to increase blood flow and reduce the amount of oxygen intake required to perform at the same level of intensity without music, meaning our body can work harder.
Boost your immunity
Music has been shown to improve mood and reduce stress, which, in turn, has a positive effect on our immunity.
Great lyrics are motivating
For many people, music can make the difference between a great exercise session and no exercise at all. The power of a song or a piece of music to motivate should not be underestimated.
Time flies
An hour-long session might seem quite long, but when you break it down by different pieces of music or songs, it’s so much easier to do.
Pain reduction
While music isn’t a substitute for medication to manage chronic pain, it may distract you from normal aches or pains during exercise. Therefore, you’re more likely to push through and complete your workout. The “dissociative strategy” engaged by listening to music helps us to zone out from the pain or effort of the workout and tune in to the memories and good feelings playing in our head, making it easier to continue.
Music is a natural stimulant
If you are feeling low on energy, music can provide the boost you need. Music is ergogenic, meaning it triggers activity in the cardiovascular system which is similar to the effects of caffeine. Both caffeine and music also access the pleasure reward brain centres, releasing the feel-good chemical dopamine.
OVERALL……….
As you will see the benefits of listening to music while you exercise are considerable. Music is at the heart of my fitness classes and I firmly believe that if you enjoy doing something then you will be much more likely to continue with it and of course massively improve your health and well-being at the same time too.
Whether your favourite music is Glenn Miller or Glen Campbell, Tchaikovsky or Tina Turner, we look forward to welcoming you along to Carmen’s Fitness very soon.