Gym essentials are a towel, water bottle and music. It has been proven that listening to music can help people study and improve memory, but people also say that listening to music whilst working out improves their performance.
Plugging in your earphones and tuning out your surroundings can really help to push your limits and give you the motivation that you need in the gym. Music makes you want to train and it lifts your mood.
Listening to music before and during exercise gets you into the mindset for the particular type of training that you are doing. A running playlist will be different to a lifting playlist. Whereas a meditation playlist will again be completely different. The songs you listen to set you up for how well you will perform and how you feel when training. They also help you maintain a pace which is easier on your body as opposed to fluctuation movements throughout your session. Training to the beat of the music also increases metabolic efficiency and stamina.
Some research has shown that by listening to music when training, your perception of exhaustion decreases. You don’t feel as tired as you cannot hear yourself breathing heavy and you are just focusing on your movements and the music. It basically serves as a good distraction.
When creating a playlist however, it is important to ensure that the music you choose suits the training and the end goal. The music cannot bring on emotion that will cause a bad distraction.
Many music apps already have ready made exercise playlists that will fit with any training style. It helps to take these examples and then add your own songs that really get you going. It is not just music however that people tune into to increase peak performance. When asked about pregame rituals and training tips, some athletes have stated that they listen to audio books, ambient sounds or podcasts.
Whether it has become a superstition or it is actually backed by scientific evidence, many state that they just do not perform as well without their music and listening routines.
That’s why, when you walk into our gyms it is never quiet. There is always music playing, creating a positive, motivating environment. During classes, doing cardio or lifting weights, there is always a playlist in the background to encourage you and help you enjoy your workout.
