Boost your workout with this one powerful tool...and 7 reasons why it works amazingly well

Despite being a health coach, I still have days once in a while when I find myself dragging for no apparent reason. My motivation is low, energy levels are depleted and what’s worse, my mind just doesn’t seem to be in the right place. No doubt our minds can be our most formidable opponents sometimes. If our minds aren’t onboard with a plan then our bodies won’t be either. It’s as simple as that. But how do we get our minds back in the game?
 
Off days are actually quite common. It’s normal to sometimes try to come up with every excuse in the book in order to avoid doing a certain task (in this case, exercise). But keep in mind that having an off day isn’t the same as falling completely off the wagon. Remedying such a fall from the wagon will be a topic for a future post. Assuming your goals are well defined, your vision of success is clear and that you are truly ready and willing to sustain this change, then it might just be that you’re in need of a little boost.
 
In my experience there’s no better workout booster than a dose of excellent music. Music just brings a part of our brains to life. The benefits are not merely anecdotal. If you’ve ever listened to music while working out then I don’t need to tell you how effective it can be (though reminders are always good!). And it’s not just in your head that your workouts with music seem better. Studies show that music really does have a positive impact on us while we move our bodies. We know exercise is good for us. We know that listening to music is good for us. So what do we get when we mix both at the same time? We get a truly powerful combination…
 
Benefits of listening to music while exercising:
(Quick Disclaimer: Always be aware of your surroundings. Listening to music while outdoors is great but make sure to keep the volume low enough to still be able to hear some ambient noise)

• Helps relieve boredom

Sometimes our enthusiasm begins to wane once the novelty of an experience wears off. Sure, you can still enjoy a particular exercise. But the excitement factor can diminish over time. Additionally, as our bodies progress and get stronger, the challenge of an activity may also lessen. One way to relieve boredom is to add music. Music increases your state of arousal, which can quite literally wake you up!

• Can increase performance (and confidence!)

Music = increased confidence = better performance. There’s a reason people listen to music before an important event. Some people listen to music before an interview, which empowers them, hypes them up. Before a game, you can also catch athletes listening to music to pump themselves up.

• Increases pace

There’s just something about a catchy tune that makes us want to synchronize with it. It actually requires more effort to try to not move in synch with the beat. This happens on a subconscious level. You may not even notice that you’re pushing harder and faster when listening to an awesome tune with a fast tempo.

• It can boost “feel-good” hormones

Music makes us feel good. There are benefits to listening to music. There are added benefits when you add movement the equation. Both exercise and music can help release those feel-good chemicals in your brain, leaving you in a better mood and with an enhanced sense of calm.

• It can be a great distraction

No pain no gain, right?  Of course, you should always listen to your body. Mild discomfort can be expected from physical exertion but new onset pain or significant distress should never be ignored. But if you’re in the midst of your typical intense workout and you want to get your mind off the discomfort or fatigue, music is a really great way to do this. It’s easy to forget about discomfort when you’re too busy jamming away.

• Can help put you “in the zone”

Ahhh the elusive “zone” that we all strive to enter...Being in the zone means that you are fully immersed in the present moment. You’re energized, engaged and you’re really enjoying the moment. Getting in the zone requires a rather clear mind, which exercise definitely helps with. Combine this with engaging music and suddenly you may just find yourself in the zone!

• It motivates movement

Pay attention to how your body naturally responds when you hear a great song playing. More than likely if it’s a faster paced song, you are moving at least some part of your body with the music. It is very hard to not want to move along with a beat. This desire to move with a beat is hardwired in us. So use this natural inclination to your advantage. Use it as a way to build momentum in order to initiate movement. Then just keep going from there and you can get a whole workout in!
 
How to use music

1. Match the tempo and rhythm with your desired speed of movement
2. Use slower music for warming up and cooling down
3. Play games: Ex: see if you can finish that mile after the first 3 songs

 
Best types of music for working out
Musical enjoyment is a highly subjective experience. What’s preferred by one may not be by another. Therefore, there is no “best” kind of music to listen to during a sweat session. Having said this, there are some beats that might be better at motivating you to move than others. Obviously faster paced songs are better for this.
 
How to listen to music while exercising
Technology has improved greatly in the past couple of decades. As a kid, I had to lug one of those cumbersome cassette players around with me (I know, I know...I'm aging myself here). I’d wait all day by my boom box just so I could catch my favorite songs on the radio. Then I’d sit and record them onto one of those old cassette tapes. Those were my earliest versions of a playlist. And technology just kept on improving...

By the time I was a teenager I was lugging around a portable CD player instead of dealing with the headache of cassette tapes. I didn’t go on a single walk without that clunky old thing. Again, if I wanted any sort of variety, I’d have to go through the arduous process of burning CDs and then creating my own playlists from music I’d first have to purchase online. All this during a time when we were charged per minute to be online!

As you can see, we are so very lucky to have technology today that makes it convenient for us to bring our favorite music anywhere with us, almost effortlessly. Although I can't say I don't look back fondly on all those hours spent trying to catch my favorite tunes on the radio!
 
Where to find the right music
Today we can download a seemingly infinite number of songs in just the fraction of the time it would’ve taken us back in the day. Or you can simply stream music through one of the many amazing (and often free) digital music apps. Personally, I enjoy a wide range of music from all different genres. What I listen to really depends on my mood. If I’m feeling lazy, I may just do a quick search on YouTube for good workout music and use whatever I find. As is the case with exercise too, the key is always just finding what works for you.
 
Get the right gear
Make sure to explore all the gear options and find what works best for you. Remember that bad gear can ruin an otherwise good workout. Believe me when I say, you don’t want to spend your whole workout wrestling with a bad pair of headphones!
 

Do you have a favorite playlist to listen to when you exercise? What affect does music have on your workouts? Feel free to share below!