Music VS Workout Training

Every gym around the world has music blaring and many outdoor runners have headphones on. Can music improve your workout? Should you train with music or not?

The pros

Music can help exercise become an experience rather than a chore. It inspires us, encourages our creative brain to switch on and the mind chatter to quiet down.

Studies have shown that listening to music of any kind while exercising can give your brain an amazing boost, and exercising in time to the music can increase your endurance capacity by up to 15 per cent.

Fatigue symptoms can also affect an individual less due to a higher enjoyment factor, encouraging longer workout sessions and helping consistency in training.

These are obviously key factors for anyone wanting to lose weight

Interestingly, working out to music has been proven to keep the elderly more upright and in better posture.

The cons

If you need to focus on your exercise technique it is safer to postpone your music experience until you feel comfortable allowing your brain to switch off.

If you do opt for music, the key to choosing your workout tunes is BPM – beats per minute. As a general rule, you should try to match your BPM to your heart rate. If you are walking, choose slower-paced songs of 115 to 120bpm, 135 to 140bpm for power walking, or 147 to 160bpm for running.

If you are training outdoors, be mindful to keep your music at a lower volume so that you can hear approaching traffic and are aware of other people and dogs around you.