If you have been spending some of your time at the gym you have probably noticed that music plays a major role in the overall exercising environment and motivation. There is nothing strange to see people with headphones in every gym. The music has the power to affect many different aspects of our lives and it definitely plays a key role in our exercising routine.
Depending on the type of music currently playing you sometimes feel better and well-motivated at the gym and sometimes you can’t wait to finish your exercises and go home. Music affects every person in a different way so for some people heavy metal or rock will boost their energy, while others will find blues and pop the right one for the gym. If the music at the gym you are going to doesn’t motivate you, open ear headphones may be a solution for you. Just make sure to prepare your own playlist according to your personal taste and the recommendations given below, and you will definitely feel the difference.
Different Exercises Require Different Kind of Music
If you are lucky enough your gym would have separate rooms for different exercises and the music playing in a specific room would match the type of exercises you are about to do. This will definitely keep you motivated through all the exercises. But since we have decided to listen to our own music, you can do a quick search online and find many different websites offering prepared playlists for different exercises or you can even create your own playlists according to the music genre, tempo or beats per minute.
Here is what kind of music experts recommend based on the exercises you do. We have ordered the recommended type of music based on the number of beats per minute.
Stretching and Balancing exercises
Stretching and balancing exercises are usually performed slowly and in a calm manner. Therefore such exercises would go best with peaceful and soothing music. The recommended number of beats should vary from 90 to 115. According to this, soft rock, rhythm and blues would be perfect for these exercises.
Swimming
For some reason there is no music in the swimming pool or there is in some gyms. The ideal number of beats per minute should be between 90 and 130. This type of music will keep you motivated and will eliminate all the distracting noises usually present in the swimming pool.
Strength training
When you are about to start your strength training exercises there isn’t anything that can really boost your motivation like some adrenaline-pumping music coming through your headphones.
If you are into weight lifting or other types of strength exercises it is highly recommended to listen to music with repetitive tempo. The number of beats should be ideally somewhere between 115 and 135.
Endurance training
According to a recent study, you can expect your endurance to increase by 15% if you are listening to the right music while working out. Because of the high intensity of the endurance exercises the perfect choice for music would be fast tempo music having more than 135 beats per minute. According to this, it would be ideal to listen to some hard rock or techno music.
Cardio
When it comes to cardio exercises you have to admit it really isn’t your favorite type of exercise. For some people cardio is a living nightmare and something that has to be done. Is there a way to change this attitude? Well, sure there is. All it takes is some high-intensity music with good pace and repetitive beats. Electronic dance music, heavy metal and pop music work best with cardio exercises.
In order to boost your exercising experience you should choose the music you like the best and the one that matches your exercise routine. We are all different, so although we have given you some guidelines, you are the one who has to find out what tempo is the best for you personally.
Don’t be afraid to try different types of music and we hope you will find these recommendations useful. So the next time you go to the gym, make sure to have your playlists ready and you will see that music can really affect your workout routine and boost your endurance and motivation.
