Benefits of Exercising to Music and Apps to Aid in Music Choice and Exercise Effectiveness

It has been shown that listening to music while exercising optimizes workouts. Some of the benefits of exercising to music include:

-Elevating our mood while distracting us from pain

-Certain songs can make people feel more positive, motivated, and upbeat, leading to a more beneficial work out.

-Exercising harder/faster than usual due to the music reducing the perceived effort involved

-Music helps maintain a steady pace, reducing false steps and decreasing energy expenditure

-Music increases electrical activity in various regions of the brain important for coordinating movements

The style of music does not make a difference. Personal preference and tempo are key factors. If you don't relate to the music it will not benefit your workout. The tempo is important because your heart rate follows the speed of the music. Faster music elevates heart rate while slower music will slow your heart rate.

There are tools available to help you find the right music for your personal workout. If you are interested in finding music that keeps pace with your heartbeat while working out, for $4.99 there is an app called Cruise Control: Run. It takes the music from your personal music library so it is the music you like. There are four settings:

1. Free Run. You start running, jogging, bicycling, etc. and the music adjusts in real time to match your pace.

2. Pace. Pick a target speed and as long as you match your steps to the rhythm of the music, the music will get you to your target speed and keep your there.

3. Heart Rate. Pick a target heart rate and as long as you match your steps to the rhythm of the music, the music will drive you to your heart rate goal.

4. Cadence. Pick a target stride rate and Cruise Control will adjust all of your songs to play at the same tempo.

Songza is a free music streaming app which music experts recommend play lists for various activities including exercising. You can vote songs up or down to ensure the music style stays to your liking.

Jog.fm is another app that uses music from your personal music library. For $2.99 jog.fm allows you to easily set a pace for yourself. You can include a warmup or cool-down song or push a speed button for a speed boost. It also learns your song preferences and will play songs with thumbs up more often than the songs you vote with thumbs down.

Next time you're out for a run or working out make sure you play your favorite tunes for an optimal and more enjoyable experience.Workout Music