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The Best Kind of Tunes for Your Workouts

By May 19, 2014 No Comments

Music is a key factor in pushing your fitness program along

Music, they say, soothes the savage beast…but it also has the ability to make you go places you wouldn’t ordinarily go..such as, the gym.

Playing music on your iPod during a workout is super beneficial when you want to push yourself to a higher intensity level. Sports psychologists from the University of London conducted research and found that there are even specific genres of music that help people perform at their best during an exercise session. The team went to the Spotify site and took a look at users’ playlists marked ‘workout.’

Best Kind of Tunes for Your Workouts

The best genres for the best exercises

It holds true that certain kinds of music are more conducive to certain kinds of fitness workouts. The top three are:

Rap: perfect for running, jogging and stretching

Dance or techno: suitable for strength or weight training

Pop: The moderate beats per minute are good for warming up or cooling down.

Music also has the ability to distract people from pain and discomfort – especially whilst working out. Listening to music, researchers say, helps control the pace that one works out to, in effect, making the workout more effective by varying speed and intensity.

It’s all in the mind

Another scientific study conducted last year discovered people often are able to alter their mood and outlook just by listening to their favourite music. It also helps them focus on something other than the present – in effect, an almost hypnotic effect. While working out and listening to music, it helps pass the time more quickly and helps you focus on just the workout portion.

Whether you set your workout to Led Zeppelin, Rihanna, or the Red Hot Chili Peppers, your music’s rhythm helps activate the brain’s motor area, which helps with self-paced exercises like running or lifting weights. It’s proven that our bodies react better to a steady pace than flip-flopping with a start and stop motion.

For your Perth fitness program, try Warwick Women’s Workout

At our new women-only facility, women are comfortable and confident whilst getting fit. We offer a motivational and friendly atmosphere. Contact one of our fitness trainers to see how you can fit your favourite music into your workouts!