Music Can Make Us Move!

Time to tackle that daily physical activity; our gym or home workout, the mountain of dishes on the counter or the long over-do dusting on our to-do list. It's a rather grey day outside and you aren't feeling the motivation...

Then you hit play!

The fun, upbeat music you've chosen fills the room and all of a sudden as grey as the day is you are motivated to get to your task. With time for dance breaks of course! #danceparty

Is this boost in mood coincidence or does the music motivate us to move?

There have been many studies done, some of which we will get to in a moment, to answer that exact question. The good news - findings show in favor of music improving the length and enjoyment of our workouts! A lot of the research centers around the idea that the music we listen to distracts our mind so we can go further, push harder, and enjoy the time more.

Check out the studies below to learn why that might be the case.

Study #1: Music Boosts Performance

In this review of the available research, Karageorghis & Priest found that found that listening to music can boost your athletic performance, either by increasing the distance you run, the pace at which you travel, or how many reps you complete of an activity.

"The effects of music appear to be at their most potent when it is used to accompany self-paced exercise or in externally valid conditions." (Study 1)

What does this mean? We should pick activities that we control the pace; things like Walking/running, dancing, weight-lifting, cycling.

Study #2: Our Workout Synchronizes with the Beat

Next time your listening to your favorite song, close your eyes and really listen; does it feel like you can almost feel the beat? Our body has a way of synchronizing itself to the beat. So when a song has more of a fast-paced and energetic rhythm, the more likely your pace will be fast-paced and energetic, as well.