Benefits Of Music While Working Out

Killer beats do more than just make you bust out embarrassing dance moves in the middle of the gym floor. But understanding why music makes us feel this way - and the other benefits listening to something during a workout can provide - is something we're less familiar with. Compared to running without music, increases in fatigue after the run-to-exhaustion were reduced when running with neutral music (d =31) or motivational music (d =43), even though more work was completed under the two music conditions.

A new study out Wednesday in the journal Frontiers suggests that high-tempo music may increase the physical benefits of exercise, but before you get your burn on, take note of just how high the tempo is, Karageorghis says. There's been a lot of buzz about high-intensity training in recent years, but a new study finds that simply listening to high-tempo music during a workout could also produce added health benefits.

A study with 26 recreational runners found that when they ran to music between 130 and 200 BPM, they sped up or slowed down their footfalls in time with the music. Syntheses of results were planned to examine if, and if so, how effective music interventions were in improving physical activity compared with no-music, alternative sounds and other music interventions.

Multiple regression analysis was done to evaluate the effect of music and duration of exercise on heart rate. Rhythm response is tied to the beats per minute (bpm) of the song and how well it matches either the cadence or the heartbeat of the runner A song's structure such as its melody and harmony contribute to its musicality.

Of the three participants whose time-to-exhaustion was slower with music, two were identified as statistical outliers, one each for the motivational and neutral music conditions. Music can lower ratings of perceived Afro-Cuban Music exertion (RPE) in low-to-moderate intensity activities, even as heart rate and oxygen uptake rise (3,4).

Studies show that if you listen to music on a treadmill during a stress test, you can extend your exercise time by as much as six minutes. For many people, listening to music is essential to a satisfying workout. Pick music according to tempo, rhythm and harmonic qualities,” Karageorghis tells Inverse.