Trending News: Study says music can help with difficult workouts
Another day, another workout. Over time, getting yourself motivated to exercise can be a real chore. This is particularly true if you are trying to make muscle gains.
That’s why new research from the University of British Columbia (UBC) is such good news. To make a long story short, investigators discovered that listening to upbeat music during exercise can make the process more enjoyable.
Men’s Variety spoke to Chicago based personal trainer Cameron Mitchell about the study to get his impressions. He shared the following with: “Under the right circumstances, music can help a person feel more motivated while offering a mental separation from a grueling workout.”
Related: Should I get a home fitness trainer?
If you are wondering about the specifics of this study, here’s a quick rundown. Researchers studied a group of 24 participants as they completed a series of High-intensity interval training, also referred to as HIIT.
The volunteers were asked to complete these exercises under three different conditions. 1) HIIT while listening to motivational music. 2)HIIT with no audio. 3. HIIT while listening to a podcast with no music.
After pouring through the data, investigators determined that the folks who listened to uplifting music found their workouts to be more enjoyable. Additionally, they had higher heart rates and exhibited more power in their exercises, when compared to the other two groups.
Matthew Stork, a post-doctoral fellow, and author of the study, shared the following comments about the findings in a press release.
“Music is typically used as a dissociative strategy. This means that it can draw your attention away from the body's physiological responses to exercise such as increased heart rate or sore muscles.
But with high-intensity exercise, it seems that music is most effective when it has a fast tempo and is highly motivational,” Stork said.
He went on to share his insights about the role of elevated heart rates and exercise through the lens of a phenomenon called entrainment.
“Humans have an innate tendency to alter the frequency of their biological rhythms toward that of musical rhythms. In this case, the fast-tempo music may have increased people's heart rate during the exercise. It's incredible how powerful music can be.”
Well, there you have it, folks. If you are one of those people who likes listening to music while pumping iron, it may be benefiting you on multiple levels.
That said, it’s essential to use common sense. Some auditory distractions can lead to injuries, according to some research. “You don’t want the music so loud that you can’t hear what’s going on around you,” says Mitchell. “You don’t have to blast it. Keep it at a reasonable level.”
Do you listen to music during exercise? If so, does it make the experience more enjoyable?
