MUSIC MAGIC

Music can make or break a workout. Make sure you get it right with the SH1FT tips.  

Music is great for movement. A well-publicized study suggests that listening to music while working out makes people exercise harder and for longer. In fact, the lead researcher on the study Dr. Costas Karageorghis of Brunel University, London, told TIME Magazine that listening to music while exercising can result in a more intense workout, because it lowers the perception of fatigue, as well as improving endurance by up to 15 percent.

Similarly, music works particularly well for group workouts because it is a unifying force.  Working out in time to a musical beat (using synchronous music) has also even been suggested to increase oxygen update.

Given that some workouts and fitness brands sell themselves solely on the strength of their music, it’s worth spending a bit of time considering your workout playlist. The right opening tune that gets a class up and moving, or a well-placed track used to push a class through a challenging set can make the difference between a no-show at next week’s session and a class to which members return time and again.

The most effective play lists match the beat to the movement. If you want to get technical you should look at a tune’s beats per minute (BPM). Matching BPM to the workout will allow you to set your work out’s pace. Songs with a faster tempo, like Nicki Minaj’s, awesome tune Pound the Alarm, are ideal for HIIT workouts. Tunes with a BPM of 125 and above get a class moving.

The byword for a successful playlist is preparation. Nothing is more off putting than turning up to a class where an instructor spends most of the session fiddling with their phone and selecting tracks one by one.  A few minutes in advance making sure a new venue has a system compatible with yours goes a long way too. It’s much better for an instructor to spend those first five minutes meeting and greeting a class not panicking about having to combat an unknown Sonos system.

Equally, if you’re exercising alone make sure you have your playlist up and ready to press play at the start of your workout. Pre-choosing tunes for an exercise playlist is a great way to build motivation and get you ready for your next session.  And it’s your playlist: if country line dance or reggaeton does it for you or you want to listen to Calvin Harris on repeat – do it!