When it Comes to Motivation, Music Matters
Change your playlist, change your workout
The connection between music and movement goes beyond dancing, considering 61% of American gym-goers reportedly listen to music during their workouts. Studies show that exercising to music has a positive effect on both mood and endurance, considering the limbic system that is responsible for emotion and your motor cortex, which controls movement. Most people, however, are not hopping on a treadmill with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 blasting through their earbuds. This is because different kinds of music tend to be more or less motivating and enjoyable depending on the type of workout. To maximize your workout, the Michigan Fitness Association has created playlists with the leading music platforms to enhance your members’ workouts.
Cardio:
When it comes to cardio, music isn’t just background noise—it’s a performance enhancer! One study examines how different music genres influence running performance over a 400-meter distance. It finds that house music resulted in the fastest times, followed by jazz and then pop. While pop music was favored and preferred by some of the participants, it was less effective in improving times compared to house and jazz music. Another study looked at the effect of music in coping with the discomfort from running. Participants ran on a treadmill four times, once with rock, dance, and inspirational music and then once without music. The study found that inspirational music seemed to mitigate some of the discomfort felt by the participants. Additionally, research has been conducted on the effects of tempo on running performance. One study concluded that fast music can help runners feel less fatigued during their workout. Another found that fast-paced music had a positive psychological effect on individuals during high-intensity exercise.
Strength:
For strength training, the research shows something interesting. Firstly, it does confirm that music can aid with performance by improving stamina and motivation. It has been shown that listening to music during resistance training can help improve your overall mood when working at high intensities. However, unlike cardio exercise, where specific musical qualities yield better results, the evidence suggests that listening to preferred music is the most beneficial during strength workouts. This study shows that participants completed significantly more repetitions to failure during the bench press exercise when listening to preferred music compared to non-preferred music. Velocity, power, and motivation levels were also significantly increased by the presence of the participant’s preferred music. Because of this, it may be best to stick to your favorite songs during your weightlifting session. Otherwise, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular music to weightlift to.
Yoga/Pilates:
Yoga and pilates are more relaxed and low-impact exercises than strength and cardio. This means that the music that energizes you during weightlifting might not be suitable for your yoga or Pilates session. Many yoga practices include a period of meditation somewhere throughout which means that whatever music you’re listening to should be calming and relaxing enough to meditate to. Studies show that low-tempo music induced lower levels of anxiety compared to high-tempo music. Furthermore, one study found that listening to both religious hymns and flute music were effective in lowering stress during a yoga practice. Little research has been conducted showing the impact of music on Pilates but we believe that this playlist will be accommodating to both practices.