30
ISSUES: Fitness & Health
Chapter 3: Tackling physical inactivity
How listening to music during exercise can
give you a workout boost and make physical
activity less painful
Fromthe lyrics totempo,musiccandramaticallyaffectperformancebychangingaperson’s
mind-set or distracting fromdiscomfort.
By Kashmira Gander
C
hances are that the punchy first
chords of “Eye of the Tiger”, the
soundtrack to classic boxing
movie
Rocky III
, conjure up images
of sporting prowess and success in
your mind. It’s probably even on your
motivational gym playlist to help you
pummel the punching bag (don’t
worry, your secret is safe with us).
Popping ear buds in before a workout is
habitual for many of us and exercising
without a backing track unthinkable. A
recent survey by
Runner’s World
found
that 75per cent of respondents consider
that jogging to music is beneficial.
Just how music can fuel exercise –
when it becomes what is known as
an ergogenic aid – is a recent field of
scientific study which experts have
been exploring for two decades. Their
research shows the components of
music, from the lyrics to the tempo, can
acutely affect performanceby changing
a person’s mind-set or distracting from
discomfort, as Dr Costas Karageorghis,
reader of sports psychology at Brunel
University, argues in his book
Applying
Music in Exercise and Sport
.
And it’s not just your average runner
in the park that relies on the power of
music, explains Dr Karageorghis. Even
athletes plug in to music to psych
themselves up to find that sweet spot
known as “the zone”.
Studies show that athletes can
associate a specific piece of music with
the optimum state of mind for exercise
over time. In fact, some sporting
organisations fear that music is so
potent it can give an edge over other
competitors, prompting bans when the
sport is being performed.
“The most decorated Olympian of all
time, Michael Phelps, is particularly
well known for his use of a brash
and
aggressive
hip-hop
playlist
in the competitive arena,” says Dr
Karageorghis. “He is able to block out
the pre-race hullaballoo, focus intently
on the task at hand, and reinforce his
identity as the imperturbable principal
of the pool through his distinctly rap-
centric soundtrack.”
Yet most people are not harnessing
music to its full potential, says Dr
Karageorghis, who believes his book is
the first to formalise how music can be
applied to exercise, be you an athlete or
a reluctant gym-goer.
“Music can have a profound effect on
our emotional state and every facet of
music can contribute towards this,” he
explains.
Dr Karageorghis also admits that
there are cases where music can be
detrimental to exercise. The distinction
comes down to whether a person has
what he describes as an “associative”
or “dissociative” attentional style.
For instance, gym fanatics and elite
athletes who continuously monitor
their pace and energy levels in order
to achieve optimum performance can
find music too distracting. Dissociators,
on the other hand, rely on stimulation
to divert their attention from the pain.
Dr Karageorghis says music could
therefore be used to tackle the obesity
epidemic. “We have a huge problem
with inactivity, obesity and type 2
diabetes in the Western world, and I
am convinced that music and exercise
form a large part of the solution. I have
this theory that if the NHS were to pay
couch potatoes to engage in thrice-
weekly exercise-to-music sessions, it
would make a huge long-term saving
in their budget.”
Studies into amateur running clubs,
for example, have shown that music
prevents joggers from hearing heavy
breathing or pounding footsteps of
themselves or those around them,
which can be demotivating. In this
way, suggests Ian Gummery, Course
Leader in Sport Psychology and
Coaching at London Metropolitan
University, other distractions can
achieve similar effects to music.
“Thinking of other things such as an
upcoming holiday, or even working
through a current problem in your
mind which may be totally unrelated
to sport can achieve the same effect,”
he says.
Dr Costas Karageorghis chimes that
verbal encouragement – like being
yelled at by a personal trainer – can
also boost performance, as well
as finding an exercise buddy with
similar goals and fitness level to
stoke friendly competition. Still,
nothing works quite like music, says
Dr Karageorghis – not even downing
a double espresso before hitting the
treadmill.
So, what is the secret to piecing
together the perfect workout playlist?
Research suggests that rhythm is the
most important factor for the average
gym-goer, says Dr Karageorghis,
whereas those competing at a
professional level are more likely to
benefit from music they have a strong
emotional connection with.
And if hip-hop is good enough for
Michael Phelps, that’s a good enough
starting point for us.
19 September 2016
Ö
The above information is reprinted
with kind permission from
The
Independent
. Please visit www.
independent.co.uk
for
further
information.
© independent.co.uk 2016
