Music Matters!

Why Music Mattersby Deekron ‘The Fitness DJ’
When it comes to fitness, music really matters. Music offers many benefits for athletes, whether you are working out, running, or training for a competitive event (e.g. a marathon). The right music can increase your performance, keep you focused, and may even help you stick with your training program.
The Benefits of Music for Runners
As the ‘Fitness DJ’ – a specialist in the area of workout music - my job is to provide people with motivation for fitness through music. The primary reason I launched the Motion Traxx running Podcast is to provide runners (and exercisers) with the benefits music brings to a run or a workout session. Science confirms that these benefits do, in fact, exist.
The effects of music on the performance of athletes have been well documented by research. One of the leading authorities on the impact of music on athletic performance is Psychology Professor Dr. Costas Karageorghis of Brunel University in London (UK). His research has found that when music is synchronized to a workout, the level of performance is noticeably enhanced. According to Karageorghis, music enhances exercise in several ways, including focusing concentration and diverting the mind from fatigue. The result is increased performance and endurance. A study conducted at the University of Tokyo also supports this theory. There, researchers found that the rate of perceived exhaustion differed, depending on the music played as participants ran on a treadmill.
In addition to increased performance, adding a regularly scheduled workout/running Podcast to your exercise routine may actually help you ‘stick with the program’. Karageorghis’ research revealed another long-term benefit of workout music – it may help with motivation and exercise adherence. Simply put, adding a regularly-scheduled workout music Podcast to your training routine may help you ‘stick with the program’. This yields long term benefits for your health, in addition to better performance.
Marathon organizers are now catching on to what runners have known for years, music while running is beneficial for performance in a marathon. At London’s 2008 ‘Run to the Beat Half Marathon’, participants were treated to live music along the route. The marathon music was chosen using scientific methods to aid in endurance and to match the target stride-rate of the runners. The choice in musical selections to be played at the marathon was influenced by the specific demands of marathon running.
Selecting Music for Running
Research shows the type of music you choose is essential for gaining the full benefits of workout music. Music can be stimulating or calming, depending on the tempo. To get the most out of your music, it should be synchronized to the workout you are performing.
A study conducted at the University of Plymouth in the UK, uncovered that the tempo of background music enhanced the level of exercise when running on a treadmill. The optimal tempo for many forms of exercise is between 120 and 140 beats per minute (‘BPM’). Runners need faster tempo music in order to pace their stride. Motion Traxx running music mixes are tailored to the higher BPMs required by runners, usually 150 to 180 BPM.
So science has proven what a lot of us ‘felt’ already – when it comes to running, working out, and other forms of exercise, music really matters.