Most of us prefer listening to music while exercising. In fact, we put in considerable effort to build or find playlists specifically for workouts.
Have you noticed that the choice of workout music is individual-specific? Ever wondered why?
Did you know that the overall feeling of goodness you experience while working out to music is the convergence of its multifaceted effects?
Can you believe that these effects are not just psychological, but physical too?
This article delves into the science behind the music-workout connection.
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Music hijacks our body and brain
Most of us would agree that music has the power to connect with us at an emotional level. It is because of this ability of music to trick our brains to stay in different modes, including the relevant emotions, associated memories, visuals and events, it remains the favorite workout companion for many.
Music has the ability to enhance social connection in group exercise settings, besides having a beneficial effect on the individual level in terms of elevating mood and endurance, delaying fatigue and even bodily functions like minimizing heart rate variability and optimizing oxygen/ energy expenditure.
Sufficient research evidence exists to substantiate the benefits of music in improving exercise performance and strength and power. Of particular interest is a study performed on the elderly (96% women) over 75 years, listening to music while exercising had a marked effect on their gait and balance, eventually reducing their risk of falls, which is a major cause of disability in this age group.
Music as a metronome for workout
According to Costas Karageorghis of Brunel University in London, one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of exercise music, music can be thought of as "a type of legal performance-enhancing drug."
When it comes to workout music, the two aspects that can significantly impact performance are tempo/ speed and rhythm response.
We instinctively synchronize our movement to the beats- so it is important for the workout intensity.
Most of us have a personal preference for music to which our body moves (toe tapping, head nodding, etc.), and this varies with the cultural background, peer group, personal taste, etc.
These are also why different music types work well for different kinds of activities, say walking, cycling, resistance training, aerobics, etc.
Therefore, it is good to put some thought into building your playlist for workouts since the emotional response to a specific piece of music is individual-specific. Not to forget, the music trend across different timelines! For example, the kind of music/ pieces we grew up listening to definitely have a special place in our hearts as they bring back memories or make us feel younger.
Here, we have put together some playlists (including Indian film music) that we think would appeal to women in the 35-50 age group. Feel free to share your lists with us too.
Hindi Contemporary
Tamil Contemporary
Tamil Retro-upbeat music
English -mixed
References:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-music-moves-us/
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