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Workout playlists increase performance, study says

Studies show that having music while exercising helps maintain longer rounds of exercise and has the pleasant side effects of lower levels of exertion.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, October 13, 2018

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Workout playlists increase performance, study says Studies show that having music while exercising helps maintain longer rounds of exercise and has the pleasant side effects of lower levels of exertion. (Shutterstock/Martinina)

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umerous studies have shown that having the right music playlist while you exercise does indeed make you push your limits, Popsci reported.

Researchers found that in over 60 studies, music aided those participating in maintaining longer rounds of exercise and had the pleasant side effects of lower levels of exertion. They also said that a good beat makes one lighter and happier whilst on their feet.

It has also been shown that moderate exercise accompanied by music is more effective than high-intensity workouts. Music will not increase your performance, but it provides a great mood for an otherwise strictly spartan-style routine.

There are two ways music aids our exercise routine: asynchronously (as background motivation) or synchronously (beating your fists or feet to an awesome beat).

Read also: Exercise could be key to staying sharp: Study

Songs that are loud, fast and with lots of intense bass are shown to be good motivators, researchers said. The maximum tempo would be 140 beats per minute, but the general idea is the higher you go, the more you push yourself.

Two sites that can help you plan your playlist are run2rythm and SongBPM. Run2rythm provides a chart of basic beats per minute (BPM) for different paces. SongBPM will then help you organize your desired songs after you have consulted the Run2rythm charts.

Remember not to exercise to songs that are too complex, as it might be harder to match them with your movements if you are looking to synchronously increase your performance.

Despite the aforementioned benefits, it has been suggested that professional athletes prefer to focus on their pace and performance and find music distracting.

For an average person, at least, a steady beat can serve as a boost and a pace to run to, not to mention the escapist feeling of being the focus of your favorite song’s music video. (acr/wng)

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