Why It’s GREAT to listen to music

18 May 2021
Health & Fitness Gym, Health & Fitness, Health & Wellness, Wellness

Isn’t it interesting how hearing a particular song can bring back a special memory or make you feel happy or calm or pumped up? Studies suggest that listening to music can have positive effects on your health. The power to improve our health and well-being? Let’s turn up the volume!  

Harvard Health research speculates that listening to music helps organise the firing of nerve cells in the right half of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher functions. Music - acts as an "exercise" that warms up selected brain cells, allowing them to process information more efficiently. 


Music + Wellbeing 

Studies suggest that music may help the heart and circulation as well as the brain and mind. But how? Slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and reducing levels of stress hormones are likely explanations, but research indicates that joyful music produces a 26% increase in blood flow, a benefit similar to aerobic exercise, well ahead of laughter (19% increase) and relaxation (11%). 

Speed and tempo are the two most important factors that affect exercise intensity. It is ideal to start your warm-up with a slower song (120 to 126 bpm) and gradually increase the speed according to the type of exercise you will be doing. For weightlifting and general cardio, choose music that is between 128 to 135pm. For relaxation, choose music that is less than 100 bpm. 

Music can enhance aerobic exercise, boost mental and physical stimulation, and increase overall performance. It keeps us from focusing on the physical sensations of fatigue and can help you push yourself harder during your workouts. 

Exercising to music can help motor and movement coordination, such as moving to the beat of the music during a group fitness class. When the body is in sync with music, people often experience a boost in self-confidence, which creates a positive association with exercise.  

Music + Stress + Mood 

Music can have a profound effect on both the emotions and the body. Faster music can make you feel more alert and concentrate better. Upbeat music can make you feel more optimistic and positive about life. A slower tempo can quiet your mind and relax your muscles, making you feel soothed while releasing the stress of the day. Music is effective for relaxation and stress management. 

Playing music in the background while we are working, seemingly unaware of the music itself, has been found to reduce the stress. Music was found to reduce heart rates and to promote higher body temperature - an indication of the onset of relaxation. 

Music is something that almost anybody can access and makes it an easy stress reduction tool. 


 

Take a minute to think back to the first playlist you ever made for someone. Whether it was a mixtape you recorded yourself or a burned CD, a good playlist feels like a good reason to turn up the volume! 

To kickstart your winter vibes, we’ve created a Spotify playlist to get things warmed up.  LISTEN NOW. 

Turn up the volume with playlists to suit every activity or occasion.  

 

References 

Karageorghis, C.I. and Terry, P.C. (1997). The psychophysical effects of music in sport and exercise: A review. Journal of Sport Behavior, 20, 1, 54-68. 

Kravitz, L. (2007). The effects of music on exercise. IDEA Fitness Journal, 4, 8. 

Szabo, A., Small A. and Leigh, M. (1999). The effects of slow- and fast-rhythm classical music on progressive cycling to voluntary physical exhaustion. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 39, 3, 220-225. 

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