Have you ever been in the middle of a workout set and the song playing gets to the end, and suddenly you can’t continue your set until the next song starts? same. Music is an incredible motivator when working out, regardless of your fitness activity. Maybe it’s the beat pushing you harder, or the lyrics inspiring you to keep going. Some classes rely on the music for choreography. Music and fitness are intertwined. A good music playlist can definitely contribute to a good workout, and if the music leaves something to desire, there’s a chance your workout will suffer as well.
Benefits of Listening to Music While you Work Out
- It motivates you. Music tends to impact your mood, and makes you keep going. If we listen to music while we’re cleaning the kitchen, and don’t stop until we’re finished, why wouldn’t that same science apply to working out?
- It improves your mood. I don’t need to cite the source, I think we can all agree that sad songs make us sad, cheerful songs make us happy, and overall music impacts our mood. Listening to music while we workout will in turn make that connection between working out and that positive mood. We will begin to associate that good mood with working out.
- It helps push through the struggle. Music won’t make a hard workout feel easy, but it can definitely push you past the obstacle to complete the set or the round. Silence lets us focus on the pain, but music gives a distraction.
Choosing Music for Running
The school of thought on music while running is very split. Some people believe that training with music makes it harder to run without it, because you rely on that beat. Other people believe that running with music makes it harder to pay attention to your body. Some people like running with music for that same reason- they can ignore their body telling them to stop. Trail runners usually prefer no music, because they can embrace the beauty of the trail. There is no solid reason that says all runners should or shouldn’t run with music.
Without diving too deeply into the science between cadence and over striding (taking too big of steps), a good general BPM or beats per minute recommendation for running playlists is 130-140bpm. Personally, I prefer 160bpm, even though I don’t actually take 160 steps in that time. It gives me something to push for, and forces me to take more steps than I might with a slower tune. Lyrics may motivate, or a specific song may pull in a memory that motivates. But runners should focus on choosing music based on the beats per minute.
Note: It’s super important to always focus on safety when running outside. Music is great, but safety is more important. Running outside with headphones can cause you to zone out negatively, where you don’t notice cars or people behind you. I always recommend running with only one headphone or using the speaker function on your phone in your pocket. For more running safety tips, check out this post.
Choosing Music for Lifting
Lifting heavy usually calls for heavy music. Songs with a strong beat and heavy bass will get the heart pumping and could release the extra endorphins to go full send on a lift. Many lifters want a rock playlist, with some preferring metal, and some even like EDM (electric dance music). The lyrics might play a roll in a good lift, but ultimately lifting needs a strong beat.
Music in Group Fitness Classes
The music in a group fitness class is the most diverse, and there is no one set answer for every type or every instructor. There are classes which are directly using the music, like dance, barre, pilates, and yoga. Even some cardio strength classes even rely on the music for cueing between segments. Other class styles will keep music in the background simply for noise, and not use it as a tool in the class.
Music for classes is possibly the most difficult to choose because you’re hoping that everyone in the class can benefit, instead of focusing only on yourself. Some classes assign the music and choreography, so instructors don’t have to worry about choosing the music. Their company does it for them. Ideally, those companies are doing their research to find the best mix of modern and iconic music across genres to connect with the members. This takes the pressure off the instructor.
Choreographed classes need to choose the songs that can be used for their program. A yoga class wouldn’t want a song with a fast beat, since the class is generally slow paced even in a flow class. Classes that use music in the background still have to be mindful that the music will motivate their members. A HIIT class won’t want classical violins playing in the background. We need to consider the members’ demographic, even across similar classes. A cardio barre class may be able to use more current radio pop hits, where an actively aging barre may want to pull older songs that align with the music the audience generation listens too.
