Entertained exercise
<p>Multi-platinum superstar Carrie Underwood and her road trainer Eve Overland, second left, lead a Carrie-inspired workout with background music supplied via an Underwood recording at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Grand Opening Celebration at Baybrook Mall in Friendswood, Texas, on Oct. 21.</p>
<p>Dance captain Traci Reszetylo rehearses a dance number to music with the Radio City Rockettes on Oct. 13 in New York for the 2016 Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular.</p>
A workout with music may be just the ticket for good mood and attitude.
Be it part of your daily or weekly routine (or maybe just some random free time you have), a little forethought to the audio portion of your next workout may do wonders.
While we tend to focus on the long-term effects of activity, the mental aspect during the actual event shouldn’t be ignored.
If you’ve spent any time at a gym, chances are they are pumping heart-pounding music through the speakers, spurring on the mind to join in the positivity and camaraderie that helps people not only get through a workout, but enjoying the process as well.
And it doesn’t necessarily have to be solely the accompaniment of a public place. Rather, music motivates just as easily during solo workouts.
I’ve actually found that music — chosen appropriately — boosts my mentality and helps me endure those tough workouts I put myself through in the first few months of the new year, when I’m trying to get myself in shape for another season of competitive cycling.
But whether you’re looking to slim down, bulk up, lose a few pounds or just have a nice, steady workout to maintain your fitness, the proper music in the background can be like the perfect training partner.
Depending on what type of workout you have planned, you can match a soundtrack to put you in that proper vibe. When I am hammering hard on the pedals, trying to keep my heart rate at a high, competitive level, I’ve found some hard rock with a beats-per-minute of slightly over 100 does the trick to keep me properly pumped. Also a lot of the mid-60s and later surf music with its steady, driving tempo keeps me on task.
I’ve read articles that say songs with tempos between 120 and 140 are ideal for the faster workouts. I also remember reading tempos faster than that tend to have a negative effect, since I suppose the mind is too conflicted with the music, thus hampering the ability to get into the proper zone.
On a recovery day, when I’m pedaling at a much slower rate, something a little softer sets the mood and keeps me mellow.
When I am doing workouts with weights, something with a driving beat lets me concentrate on counting reps and less focused on the pain or fatigue.
Likewise, when I’m out running, I tend to match my playlist to the workout, using up-tempo songs for those days when I’m trying to cover ground at a quick pace. On days when I’m more or less just jogging, the slower stuff reminds me that there’s no hurry.
Everyone has their favorite music, something they just enjoy listening to. While that may work for you as a good choice in one workout aspect or another, I find that music I don’t often listen to while I’m relaxing works better. First, new music (or at least something you don’t know by heart) keeps your ears on their toes, and helps maintain interest.
I’ve also done a little homework at times, either making a mental note or sending myself an email if I happen upon something that I think will generate me through a specific workout. I also find that listening to different music stations or channels opens a whole new world of beats and genres that I can use.
Volume needs to be considered as well. I tend to turn my speakers up fairly loud on my private workout space, which has some soundproofing and is away from the main part of the house. You need to be careful that your zest for the perfect workout doesn’t get you carried away and crank it up too loud. Temporary hearing loss can last for days and music played at very high decibels can remove hearing permanently.
One other thing: Avoid listening to music while riding a bicycle out in public. I’ve seen a few people with their ear buds in, cruising next to traffic and I just cringe when I think what could happen. You really need all your senses when riding next to traffic, and hearing is one of the most important senses for defensive riding.
If you’re like me and tend to work out most days of the week, enjoying that time can be half the battle. I’d rather be entertained with sweet sounds than annoyed by negative thoughts during that time. Happy listening and lifting!