How music impacts your workout!
By Marissa Hoen
Have you found yourself tapping your foot or jiggling your shoulders when a good song comes on? Do you ever feel down, but when your favorite song comes on your mood immediately lifts and your mind is shifted to that sweet tune? To me, music is one of the best aspects of life and it completely changes my mindset (whether that be for the better or for the worse!). When I stumbled across this article by Alice Oglethorp, I thought it would be great to share with all of you! In her article, “5 unexpected ways music improves your workout”, she highlights some research showing that music can:
1. Increase your speed
2. Increase your power
3. Make exercise feel easier
4. Enhance your mood
5. Keep you motivated
She also explains how to choose the best workout music for your specific workout. Check out her article for more info- link is in the references below!
In our gym at MOVE, I’ve noticed there are other benefits:
● Gets people moving between sets (In essence keeps you moving for longer). I know it’s not only me that dances to the music when a really good song comes on. Any movement is better than no movement, and dance is a fantastic way to keep moving!
● Connects us. Music has been a spur of conversation this week and has shown us that many of us have similar tastes- and some of us very different. No matter what music you listen to, talking about music and enjoying it together makes us feel more connected.
● Gives a rhythm to your movement. Whether or not you are aware, some folks in the gym tend to exercise to the beat. This gives the body different demands depending on the rate of the beat!
This past month, we took a MOVE member music poll. Out of 34 members surveyed, here are the results:
It looks like most of those surveyed love ROCK music, with a close runner up being ALL music! Wow, you all aren’t too picky! One person I surveyed replied “80’s music”, so I put that in with the Pop lovers. I know there might be debates on this, but most of the 80’s music we listen to in MOVE is good ol’ pop.
Next time you come into the gym, try to notice how the music impacts your moves. Maybe request a new station or put on some headphones and rock to your favorite tunes.
References
Oglethorpe, A., (2020, December 10). 5 unexpected ways music improves your workout. Fitbit Blog. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://blog.fitbit.com/workout-music/
Image taken from: unsplash-image-pH88tHG-1yw.jpg