Wanting to get fit? Science says putting music on optimises your workout!

We all have songs from the past that immediately put us in a good mood and make us start singing and dancing in the car. But music also has the power to make or break your workout! So, read on to find out how to use music to increase your outcome and fun and decrease the felt effort and strain of exercise.

When I was younger, I loved hip-hop music. But I no longer feel that gold chains and baggy pants are the ultimate sign of coolness, nor are derogative comments about women. In fact, because of that, I often can’t bear to even listen to these songs anymore.

I love my gym as it is open for 24 hours, it is enormous, so keeping the distance is easy, and it has brand new equipment. It also plays loud hip-hop or upbeat house music, and to my surprise — I LOVE it! It makes my workout easier; it distracts me from the fatigue I feel in my thighs and pushes me to work that little bit harder. Listening to hip-hop music at the gym makes me feel badass, strong, and motivated. So while you won’t find hip-hop in my @home Spotify playlists, you will find it in all my workout and running playlists. Why? Because it effortlessly increases my performance and enjoyment.

has shown that music can distract the mind from the uncomfortable feelings you can experience when you exercise. You know, that burn in your thighs that makes you want to drop to the floor?

Music also has got the effect of putting yourself into an auto-pilot mode. Studies have indicated that if you have the right music, you will hit the workout harder and finish it with seemingly less effort. You will be done before you know it.

It has also proven that music can improve your performance, especially upbeat music. So hello, hip-hop beats on my morning runs!

Last but not least, several studies confirmed that overall enjoyment increases when you exercise to your favourite music. So, while hip-hop is not my favourite music anymore, it brings out positive feelings within me that help me get it done! Also, if we enjoy what we do, we are much more likely to do it again.

Give it a try to choose upbeat, fun and emotion-evoking music for exercise and see for yourself how it can transform your workouts.

Originally published at https://www.myhealthscript.com on September 12, 2022.