I can’t count how many times the rhythmic sounds bleeding through my earphones saved me from looking like a lost dog in the gymnasium. You know those days where your body showed up, but you weren’t really there?
Music is always there. So imagine how music affects exercise.
We have some kind of deep, innate connection with music. Both of my daughters came into the world and both didn’t take long to start “grooving”. Either I have outstanding taste in music or it’s baked into the fiber of our very being (probably both hehe).
From workouts to breakups.. weddings to funerals.. whether to create a cinematic mood or fuel a historic battle cry - music is right there.
There’s even music therapy!
I started researching this topic out of curiosity, but as I drilled down the main constructs of the article shaped into: what music is, what impact it has on us, and how to use that impact to boost your workout performance.. (if you’re here for the workout playlist -> Best Workout Music)
Let’s go!
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What Is Music
Ironically, as a self-proclaimed music lover I’ve never pondered the question “what is music?” on an elementary level.
According to Oxford Languages:
Music is defined as vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.
With that said it’s difficult to split the hairs between music and just simply sounds, but music is a collection of organized sounds.. well intentional sounds I’d say. Some of that junk does not sound organized.
Yet what may sound unorganized to me may be the bee’s knees to the next air breather. Music is very, very subjective and within this subjectivity there are many, many genres and subgenres.
You have hip hop, rap, R&B, pop, reggaeton, afro beats, rock, alternative, grunge (catches breath) – could be here all day listing genres and subgenres. Musicality is vast.
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Music History
I feel like a professor when I start talking about the history of something. Records of organized sound date back 250,000 years, but there’s not much of a trail leading us to the starting line. Their stone carvings and such didn’t give a whole lot on the subject of music. No bass clef bread crumbs to follow.
Would be captivating if they had a recording studio or even a Talkboy if y’all remember those. I want to hear what they were coming up with 250K years ago, we need video footage too. I have to see what the rhythm was like.
And like many aspects of history, we can’t quite agree on a precise origin. Yet that never stopped a good theory or two from floating around.
Some theorize music evolved mostly for societal blending and a means of exchanging information, however with its ability to stimulate arousal, feeling, and self-enlightenment so powerful.. that theory isn’t well-backed.
Others believe music evolution is mainly a function similar to peacocking. A sign of biological fitness. If you have the freedom to create music, you innately suggest a sort of dominance or physiological fitness.
Dean Falk has a solid theory that music stems from the mother-baby relationship. In moments where a mother would need to free her hands from the baby, singing or humming a sweet melody would provide a level of consolation that comforted baby enough to still feel attached in the absence of mom’s touch.
Charles Darwin felt you can’t be intellectually honest and proclaim an origin for music. If I had to pick a side it seems his is the one, but the brainstorm is still intriguing.
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What Are The Benefits Of Listening To Music
Of course music listening is a pastime with an entertainment value beyond measure. The right set of jams can save you on a long drive, a long run, it can even save you on a long shift at the job site.. but there’s more. Listening to music can actually be good for you.
Some advantages of listening to music are:
Entertainment
Identity formation
A sense of belonging
Mood alteration
Easing perceived difficulty of tasks
Workout assistant (more on that later)
Way to connect
Conversation piece
Can help with depression [2]
Pain management [3]
I may be a biased speaker on the matter, being that my music love is deep to the point I get goosebumps from instrumentation alone, but you can’t argue the facts.
We’re connected to music on an emotional and physiological level that you can capitalize on.
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If you ever see me in the gym between sets, you know this holds merit.
How Music Influences Emotions
Can you think of a song that gets you all choked up?
I have a list of tunes that have an uncanny knack for rendering me teary-eyed. Some because of the relatable lyrics, some I may not relate to, but the genuine passion of the artist’s performance and what they felt hits me. Others out of the fact the instrumentation was arranged in a way to touch my opposite of funny bone, and sometimes it’s all of the above.
A consummate example is Jay-Z’s “Song Cry” – that’s a tearjerker.
So yeah, music can influence you emotionally.
If you’re above a certain age I’m sure you’ve been curled up with some relatable-downtrodden “how could they do this to me” words floating through the airwaves as you emptied your tear ducts.
This referred to response is called emotional contagion.
Emotional contagion is when you catch the vibe of something else, in this case music. It’s almost like an infection.
Back to my “Song Cry” example. This tune recreates a feeling deep inside that’s hard to ignore as a piece of art. Then the lyrics remind me of how karma tapped me on the chin a few times due to bad decisions in my younger days, that’s another story.
The emotional contagion doesn’t only work in the ardently blue direction, it can cause any response, IE aggression or jubilation.
We’ll get into this soon yet emotional contagion is why, although statistically faster paced songs get you going for exercise, fast pace isn’t a must if you have a visceral response to the music.
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How Does Music Affect Us Physically
Music can affect us emotionally, though on a certain level you probably already knew that. The physical component is even more compelling.
As a reflection of the associations the music breeds or how “into it” you feel at the moment, you can experience a channeled release of endorphins, serotonin, and even dopamine.
Endorphin – a chemical in your brain that assists with feelings of pleasure, while reducing levels of pain and discomfort.
Serotonin – called the “happy chemical” due to its ability to help regulate mood and relays messages between nerve cells in the brain.
Dopamine – known as the “feel good” hormone that communicates messages from your brain to the rest of your body.
Remember it does depend on the chosen music and the individual’s assessment of said music, if I play the aforementioned “Song Cry” these happy hormones will display their frowny faces with haste.
Theoretically it’s the brain stem reflex that causes your personalized feedback. It typically reacts to higher tempo music in the manner we desire for exercise, TYPICALLY. However the instinctual response you have matters even more than tempo.
But based on statistics, aggressive/fast music gives your command center AKA Central Nervous System (CNS) the cue to raise your heart rate, tense the muscles, boost your respiration rate, increase your blood pressure, spike your body temperature, and everything else that comes with a “fight or flight” signal, IE adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol jumps.
Note: Cortisol is a catabolic hormone and at a certain point its continued release will detrimentally impact protein balance, which not only harms your muscle building potential.. it can lead you to overtraining syndrome if not accounted for more often than not. It releases during weight training with or without music, so one compensation method is to keep your lifting sessions from lasting too long – especially if you’re a natural lifter.
Music gets the people going.
Again, statistically tempo is a big factor, but there’s an animalistic way it can be overpowered according to the appraisal theory AKA what thoughts and visceral feelings you experience during the audio adventure. More on that later.
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Effects Of Music On Exercise Performance
Studies show music potentially has an ergogenic effect, meaning it can enhance performance.
How??
More joy in the process
Rhythmic entrainment
Evaluative conditioning
Appraisal theory
Decreased rate of perceived exertion
Increased blood flow efficiency and oxygen utilization (that means better stamina too)
Workouts go by faster
Note: But not all music for all individuals – it’s highly individualized.
I just unlocked a high school memory, high school basketball to be exact. Good indicator of how powerful music is, so it’s pre-game warm up time, you know how basketball teams all have their routines.
A popular one is for the squad to form a line, jog around the court, then circle up in the middle for a quick chant. “1-2-3 let’s go!” or something like that.
Our team did this with a little extra sauce. I’m a Texan, so we did certain things the Texas way. We always had some old SUC music going and when we circled up for the huddle I’d step in the middle for a quick freestyle.
Note: For those unaware a freestyle in this context is when you put together an impromptu rap off the top of your head to whatever song is playing.
This was always intoxicating, brought chills, and all of that other positive nonsense.
We always came out with energy.
Music has that power, it’s like a pre workout. Maybe even greater since at a certain point you develop a bit of an immunity to pre workout. With the vast amount of music we have access to, particularly in the streaming age, you won’t have to worry about getting tired of the same songs if you don’t want to.
Here’s how music does what it does for exercise:
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Adds Joy To The Process
First let’s highlight the joy factor. I understand everyone isn’t charged up to get in the gym, so anything that can raise the meter from bummer to ‘funner’ needs to be highlighted. It helps folks adhere to their fitness plans.
And this joy can motivate you to actually get in the gym even when your goals don’t quite do it.
Recall how music can increase dopamine levels.
Dopamine is a chemical you release that makes you feel good. Which explains why music is always part of social gatherings - to curate the mood.
Curate the mood of your workout!
Something Called Rhythmic Entrainment
Rhythmic entrainment is a process where your respiration rate and heart rate tends to synchronize with what’s blasting through the speakers.
Part of why tunes with some tempo are favorable for high intensity workouts. But not only that, brain waves have a tendency to be similarly influenced, giving more fuel to what’s referred to as pre-performance music priming. [4]
That’s like a musical warm up to getting it in in the gym. So start the jam session early, like during your warm up.
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Appraisal Theory
According to appraisal theory, the affective responses to music during physical activity stem from an individual’s subjective evaluation of the experience. [9]
Appraisal theory makes the case for any piece of music having the potential to give you a boost, beyond tempo. Personal experience, evaluation, and your visceral response move the needle the most.
There are no rules, it could be a slow-paced deep-cut blues anthem that gets you going because the instrumentation makes you shiver or because the lyrics touch you in a place that stokes your inner fire.
Tell the weights to look out.
The Power Of Evaluative Conditioning
Within this whole construct you can start to strategize with what’s referred to as evaluative conditioning.
You know how when you can play a song from a period in life and all the emotions of that timeframe resurface? You can intentionally do that with music and exercise. Or merely reach for songs that already have uplifting memories attached, then repurpose them for the gym.
Evaluative conditioning is pairing music with stimuli that creates a positive or negative emotion. [4]
I have another high school example, this one’s of me unintentionally using evaluative conditioning.
There’s a not well-known song I loved and still love, by my favorite rapper of all-time, Z-Ro called “Whut Up Now”. I ran track my sophomore year (100 meters) and made a habit of playing this song before every meet. Well not the song, specifically Z-ro’s verse on the song, and it never failed to put me in a zone of focus to go out there and perform my best.. in a losing effort.
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Decreased Rate Of Perceived Exertion
I’ll start this one with an exert:
“Neural mechanisms that influence perceptions of exertion are thought to underlie some of the effects of music in exercise and sport.
The afferent nervous system, which transmits impulses toward the brain and spinal column, exhibits a limited channel capacity (analogous to Internet bandwidth). Consequently, sensory stimuli such as music may inhibit the physiological feedback signals associated with physical exertion (e.g., Rejeski, 1985).
Experimental work using electroencephalography has shown that music is effective in reducing theta waves (4–7 Hz) in the frontal, central, parietal, and occipital regions of the brain (Bigliassi et al., 2016).
This process has been directly associated with the suppression of fatigue-related symptoms.” [4]
Translation: Music can pull the okey doke on your body. The old switcharoo, the look there’s big foot trick.
With your afferent nervous system’s limited capacity to take in information, it’s as if you hit sensory overload with music as the overstimulating diversion. What is it diverting from?? Fatigue, difficulty, and/or perceived pain.
Decreased rate of perceived exertion (RPE) baby! You can only process so much at a time, sound waves included. To be fair you can’t COMPLETELY ignore signals of pain or fatigue, but even a 1 percent diversion means you can go 1 percent longer or harder.. that adds up to more results over time, no?
On another note this highlights, to a degree, how some aspects of “pain” are mental rather than a complete physical limitation.
Increased Blood Flow Efficiency And Oxygen Utilization
A medical study showed listening to music you fancy increases blood flow efficiency by 26%, but on the other side music that induces anxiety decreased that efficiency by 6%. [4]
So no “Song Cry” for me.
Note: Blood flow efficiency goes hand in hand with oxygen utilization.
This boils down to, the right playlist can boost your stamina – yes you read that correctly. An explanation of why that is, is rhythm.
More specifically rhythm response. Rhythm response is your natural tendency to synchronize movements with musical patterns.
Apparently we have a physiological leaning towards it. It enhances our efficiency. More so in activities of time or constant repetition, IE running.
Patterns of gate become a bit more synchronized, leading to less excess movement. Breathing patterns have a similar leaning even if not completely “on beat”.
I can attest to this with all the running that was required of me as a once upon a time soldier. I don’t do much distance running now (none actually), yet even when sprinting or on the Stairmaster I take what I learned about maintaining breathing patterns, making the task that much easier.
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Makes Time Fly
Time flies when you’re having fun right?
The best type of music for your gym library will either export your energy to a place of intense focus, which means time will seize to exist.
Or
It’ll at minimum be that boost of dopamine you need for the clock to spin around a little faster than usual, as you work on your body and soul in the gym.
But while we’re on the topic of time, you can break the workout into songs if that helps. More later.
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How To Improve Workout Performance With Music
You passed music history class, you now know the benefits, you’re aware of how it impacts you emotionally and physically, plus the ways it assists physical training.
Here’s how to boost workout performance with music:
Pick the right music
Save songs for just the gym
Make a playlist
Periodically update your playlist
Limit the volume
Pack a charger and/or spare headphones
Use songs as time markers
Pick The Right Music
Choose wisely.
Select songs that put you in the mood. Statistics suggest it’ll be something more upbeat, but know thyself.
Use what gets you going. It can be motivational, aspirational, tunes that make you smile, or maybe something that touches that dark place inside you.. I won’t judge – just use it to perform then snap back into being that positive citizen the world needs.
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Save It For The Gym
Treat your gym music as if it’s precious cargo. As if it can run out if you don’t pick your spots strategically.
Because it is and can.
As much as you love that song and want to hear it all day long, it holds more weight and retains impact if you save it for the moment. We’ve all cherished a piece of music and eventually grew immune to its glory. Only to regret overplaying it.
Make A Playlist
Fill your music library with gym jams or make a playlist dedicated to when it’s time to put some work in.
This is the great advantage of living in the streaming age. Not too long ago I had to lug around a case full of CDs to get to the song I wanted, then put it in my anti-skip Walkman.
Only to move cautiously as to not detach my wired headphones from the port, or drop the gizmo altogether.. because once that bad boy falls, the CD pops out and gets scratched up. Voilà - you now have a permanent part of the album that will stutter EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Also can’t forget having to pray my AA batteries last the whole workout!
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Periodically Update Your Playlist
I hope you take my advice and save your favorite blood pumping tunes for mostly exercise-related activities. But the harsh reality is they always eventually get old. That’s just how it goes.
To combat this, continuously funnel in new options. By that I mean regularly update your top workout songs playlist.
If you’re as big of a music fan as me this is less of a task and more like a treasure hunt. Every Friday I check what new music is released to find if there are fresh songs to fit my needs. I’m also constantly combing through the catalogs of artists from prior years for good jams I may have missed.
This explains why my library has 12,692 songs at the time of this post, yet it does give me a high success rate at finding what fits my mood for any particular workout.
Limit The Volume
Unless you’re of a certain age I can think of a question you’ve probably never asked: What is the maximum safe decibel level?
Playing music too loudly for too long may not seem like much of an issue. Even less so the younger you are, I used to BLAST music everywhere I went.
Inside and outside of the car.
Bass rattling the trunk and all. Couldn’t imagine that now in my 30s. But if you don’t take heed it’s something your ears will ultimately regret. You spend so much time in the gym the wear adds up and WILL hinder your hearing over time.
To be proactive, most sources of sound have a way to configure max volume settings. A good rule of thumb is to limit your music to around 91 decibels or less to protect those valued ear drums.
Decibel exposure chart [8]
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Prepare For The Worst
Forgetting your headphones makes the top 5 list of painful meathead mistakes. Your headphones dying mid-workout is jockeying for the number 1 spot.
Prepare for these gut-wrenching possibilities.
How?
Keep a spare headphone charger in your gym bag. And if you’re really serious spare headphones.
I have an old pair of over-ear Beats I no longer use, so they’re my “emergency break glass” headphones.
Mark Your Time
If working out is truly a task and not a joy for you, break your weight training session or even cardio down by number of songs. This helps the process feel manageable, IE a 30-minute cardio session is “March Madness” by Future 7.5 times.
Back when I was 17-18 and my college was 7 hours from home, I’d break the drive down by album when it was time to visit.
Printed the directions from MapQuest, grabbed the case of CDs, and hit the gas. 6 albums to go felt like an upgrade from 7 hours to go.
You can do the same with exercise.
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My Unorganized Thoughts
In the spirit of transparency good music isn’t all upside, there is a smidgen of mind muscle connection trade-off if you focus too much on the sound. Limited bandwidth remember? This comically explains why there are songs I’ve heard 100s of times and still don’t know all the lyrics.
If you spend forever searching for a song mid-workout you’re hurting the cause, pre-plan!
Sadly no matter how dire your need for physical health, it isn’t always motivational enough. How many people have been told by their physician they need to exercise and make dietary corrections, or this can be it for them and they still opt not to? If you fall in that category and organized sounds can help.. make it happen!
Music’s impact is certainly not a joke though. I remember being part of a pre-military program and we’d do mock Physical Readiness tests. One of the events was a 2 mile run and as part of the program they allowed us to have music.. that 2 miles was a breeze!!! Got to basic training - no music?? That 2 felt like 10!!!
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So, It’s About That Time
First and foremost, I appreciate you for making it this far in the column. We got into the early days of music and how it can spark the release of feel-good hormones. How music can help with exercise, plus how to capitalize on that information. And most importantly the way music can be an aid in you sticking to your fitness goals. It’s all about keeping yourself on the path to success. So do whatever it takes to put those muscles to use and Be Great.
Sources:
[1] study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-music-definition-terminology-characteristics.html
[2] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5500733/
[3] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27760797
[4] dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000216
[5] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3741536/
[6] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5435671/
[7] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513245/
[8] dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/decibel-exposure-time-guidelines/