We’ve all experienced it. Those days when we absolutely don’t feel like working out. When the minutes at the gym just crawl by, making an hour stretch out into what feels like eternity! When you’re feeling this way, there’s a very simple tool that will help keep you motivated while working out. It’s…exercise music!
Just pop in those earbuds or headphones, or turn up your stereo and you’ll feel a renewed sense of energy! I save all of my exercise music on Spotify. This streaming tool is awesome because years of playlists are at my fingertips. I find it best to listen to music with a relatively quick tempo while exercising, but some people feel energized while listening to their favourite slow songs. It doesn’t matter what the song is, as long as it’s bringing you increased energy.
Benefits of Exercise Music
1. It takes your mind off of counting reps.
Let’s face it, it can be boring to focus solely on counting out exercise reps. Time can sometimes slow right down when you’re doing this. When you exercise while listening to your favourite song, you’ll be more inclined to workout for longer. The time you spend doing cardio in particular, will just fly by! Look at it this way, one 60 minute workout is only 15 of your favourite songs. That’s not much! Try switching up the exercise you perform after each song, thereby completely eliminating the boring, monotonous task of counting reps.
2. You’ll move more and burn more calories.
When I have my favourite exercise music blaring in my studio, I often find myself bee-bopping in between each fitness move. This is normally the time I’d spend breaking. This more constant movement helps keep my heart rate up, and I get more steps in. My workouts suddenly become even more efficient and effective. Studies show, we push ourselves up to 15% more while exercising with music during endurance training in particular, without even realizing it! Those of you who know me know that I love dancing.
3. Happy endorphins start really pumping!
Ever wonder why you feel so good during and after a workout? While, exercise already increases our serotonin levels, thereby boosting our mood. Music also naturally increases dopamine, the neurotransmitter that drives the brain’s motivation and reward system. So, listening to music while working out gives us a double whammy of happiness, the natural way!
To Sum it up…Exercise Music is a Great Workout Tool
Just pop in your earbuds or turn up your stereo, to get a renewed sense of energy while exercising. It takes your mind away from the boring task of rep counting, and it often motivates you to move more during your fitness session. Working out while listening to music can also give us a double whammy of happy chemicals pumping throughout our bodies. Why not try listening to music during your workouts this this next week, to see if you notice any changes?!? Let me know how it goes.