1, a timeless piano solo that envelopes the listener and treats tired muscles to a sonic massage. An archetypal piece for this is Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. Pieces such as Vangelis’s Chariots of Fire, the title track of the eponymous movie, with its pulsating underlying rhythm and familiar cinematic link to glory, can work particularly well.įor a post-workout application, the music needs to be calming and revitalising in order to expedite the body’s return to a resting state. Pre-exercise, its central function is to build energy, conjure positive imagery and inspire movement.
We find that classical music fires the imagination and generally augments the running experience, particularly when enjoyed in tandem with an inspiring landscape.īut perhaps classical music has the most potent effect when used either before or immediately after exercise. Some members of our team often listen to classical music during a daily run. Her findings indicated that both kinds of music led to faster sprint times compared to a no-music control, with the faster tempo (144 beats per minute) leading to a 2.0% performance improvement, and the slower one (76bpm), a 0.6% improvement. 92) to examine how music tempo influenced sprint rowing performance over 500 metres. The psychologist Mária Rendi used slow and fast movements from Beethoven’s Symphony No. Music can also have an “ergogenic” or work-enhancing effect. It doesn’t stop at feelings and perceptions though. In essence, pleasant music can colour one’s interpretation of fatigue and enhance the exercise experience. So an aesthetically pleasing piece, such as the finale of the William Tell Overture, won’t affect what you feel when your lungs are burning on the treadmill, but might influence how you feel it. Recent neuroimaging work by our group has shown the propensity for music to reduce exercise consciousness – essentially, the parts of the brain that communicate fatigue – communicate less when music is playing.Īnd although music cannot reduce exercisers’ perceptions of exertion at very high work intensity, it can influence the mood-related areas of the brain right up until the point of voluntary exhaustion. Scientists refer to the “ dissociative effects” of music, meaning that it helps to distract the mind from internal, fatigue-related symptoms. The role of any workout music is to dull the pain, raise the spirits and possibly make time pass a little faster. So how can we tap into the beauty of such music and use the sonic peaks and troughs to our advantage during a workout? First, we must understand what the benefits of any music might be in the context of physical exercise. Think of the scintillating majesty of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony or the poignancy of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Yet there is an inherent and timeless beauty attached to many pieces from the classical repertoire, which might justify their use. It often lacks a rhythmic “groove”, and when there are lyrics, they are not easy to sing along with.
So far, most of our focus had been on various forms of popular music, including rock, dance, hip-hop and R&B, but recently we have been considering the benefits of classical music as an auditory aid to exercise.Īs a genre, it is easy to see why classical music appears to be overlooked in terms of people’s choice of workout soundtrack. We have been exploring this question using a variety of scientific methods.
So what is it about music that helps us to push our bodies towards or through physical discomfort? Elite athletes of every discipline are often seen deep in thought, their ears covered by snazzy headphones, in the moments ahead of a big match or race. The right choice of music can inspire, energise and provide much needed distraction. Whether you’re a runner, a rower or a bodybuilder, there’s a good chance you have a favourite selection of tunes and some headphones to help you through. For many people, an essential part of any exercise regime is the music that accompanies it.
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