#FitnessFacts: MUSIC

-Researchers consistently find that music has a major impact on people’s levels of exertion & endurance during exercise.

-Music stimulates the frontal lobe of the brain, which is generally involved in advanced thought processes. This causes a distraction from your own thoughts, allowing your body to focus & perform more automatically.

-The body can subconsciously move in time with music’s tempo, like how people sometimes tap their feet to music without even realizing it. This can be especially beneficial in activities that require constant muscular repetition such as running, spinning, or resistance training.

-Listening to music can increase heart rate & circulation and improve oxygen consumption, which allows the body to perform better & burn more calories.

-There is an average 15% increase in intensity & endurance in people when exercising with music.

-When people listen to music, they are less likely to notice how much time went by (which is why you hear music when you are put on hold or in an elevator).

-Listening to music can trigger the release of dopamine, the “feel good” chemical in the brain which improves mood.

-There are many other potential benefits from simply listening to music in general, including a stronger immune system, decreased risk of high blood pressure, improved mental focus, reduced stress & anxiety, and even increased mental capacity.

-Different genres of music can be beneficial for many types of exercise, depending on the listener. The BPM (beat per minute) of your music doesn’t always need to be high to stimulate your body to increase intensity. But on average, a BPM between 120-140 is a good rate to maintain a high level of intensity during resistance training or cardio exercise.