When you’re exercising, you may be looking for a little extra motivation to power you through your cycling class or crush your HIIT workout. Some people find that motivation in the form of personal coaches or podcasts, while others turn to music to take their workouts to the next level.
According to the New York Times, a study published in the journal Psychology of Sport & Exercise reveals that upbeat music helps give you the motivation to tackle high-intensity workouts.
Researchers found that “when the participants listened to the upbeat, motivational music, their heart rates and peak power output were both higher than when they listened to a podcast or no audio at all.”
At Zephyr, our experience is rooted in powerful music – music that moves you; physically, mentally and emotionally. We find deep relief in listening to an incredible playlist while matching our workouts to the beat. We’re firm believers that music can change your life, if you let it.
To give you a little extra motivation when it comes to crushing your workouts, we rounded out five reasons why you should rock out during your next endorphin-drenched sweat session.
Music can be a (good kind) of distraction.
It has been proven that music with a strong beat can give more information to our brains to process. This “distraction” can help take your mind off of how high the resistance knob is or what weight you are pushing around in your workouts.
Need some new tunes to listen to? Check out our September Sessions playlist on Spotify by instructor Carolyn Williams!
It puts you “in the zone.”
Everyone has that go-to song that when it comes on you feel unstoppable. This is in part due to the memory that’s associated with it that often comes from the context in which you first heard that song. Channeling that emotion can help boost your adrenaline and improve physical performance.
Music can elevate your mood.
Music can help you return back to the present and become more in tune with yourself and your body. This shift in perspective can bring your awareness back to your workout, specifically how your body is moving, how hard you are working, and the endorphin-boosting benefits your body is experiencing.
It can up the intensity of your workout.
If you’re looking for a little push to get you through those last few minutes of class, music can help. Studies show that songs in the range of 120-140 beats per minute have the maximum effect when it comes to upping the intensity of your workout.
Another way to up the intensity? Switch it up! Our new Force classes are 50-minute off-the-bike sweat sessions meant to move your body to the beat of the music while using hand weights, body-weight and resistance bands – the perfect complement to our signature cycling classes. Check out our schedule here to view our upcoming classes.
Music can help you keep the pace.
The rhythm of your workout music can tell your brain when to move, thereby aiding exercises such as indoor cycling. Finding the beat helps us use our energy more efficiently, since keeping a steady pace is easier on our bodies than fluctuating throughout a sweat session.
With or without music, moving your body on a regular basis is important to your overall well-being. So if you’re looking for the motivation to get you there, music may be the perfect answer.
Looking for more tips? Read about how to get the most out of your next cycling class here!