In The Groove!In The Groove!
Planning to get down to some serious exercise this year? It could be a good time to think about adding another tool to your arsenal. Music can help reduce the drudgery of a fitness routine and help you stick with it. Are you ready to get in the groove?
Sasha Cowen of Toronto has been running on the treadmill at her local gym for 20 minutes and fatigue is starting to settle in. As she looks down at her portable CD player she switches tracks to a faster song. "Whenever I do cardio I try to do it for at least 30 minutes" says Cowen. "But after 20 minutes I start to feel tired. Listening to fast music helps me push through those last 10 minutes". Like many people Cowen finds that if she listens to upbeat music while exercising maintaining the momentum is much easier. "If I'm feeling good and I like the song I'm listening to sometimes I can run longer than 30 minutes."To get the most out of exercise health care professionals recommend a 30 to 60 minute workout at least three times a week. For many people that represents hours of drudgery. Music can help.
"When you're spinning it's all about the music" says Jana Douglas of Toronto. She goes to her gym's spinning class three times a week and says that if the instructor doesn't play the right paced music it makes her workout more difficult. "When I try to keep up with the instructor having the right paced music playing definitely helps" says Douglas. "Even if I'm tired I just lose myself in the music and it helps me keep me going." Douglas says that if the music is too slow she notices her workout seems more difficult.
Cowen and Douglas aren't alone in finding music helpful while working out. Long distance runner David Gallagher of Woodbridge ON says he notices a difference in his pacing when he runs with music. "I don't know why but whenever I run while listening to music I quickly get into a comfortable rhythm" says Gallagher. "Whenever I run without my favourite tunes pumping I tend to run at a slightly slower pace and it's more difficult for me to take my mind off any discomfort I might be experiencing."
Science Behind The Music
The idea of music making exercise easier isn't just a figment of the imagination. Research shows a scientific connection between listening to music and increased fitness. One such study discovered that people with severe lung disease were able to increase their fitness levels while listening to music. The participants were encouraged to walk for at least 20 minutes two to five times a week for eight weeks. Those in the music group walked while listening to a variety of music which included country/western classical pop and big band music. The study showed those who listened to music during their daily walk covered an average of 30.5 kilometres. The group that didn't listen to music while exercising was only able to walk an average of 24 kilometres. The music group walked approximately 24 per cent further than those who walked without music. The researchers concluded that the musical distraction served to encourage exercise and as a result seemed to improve functional performance.
Targeting Your Heart Rate
Working out at an intensity level appropriate for you is important if you want to get as much as you can from exercise. You can observe your rate of perceived exertion. (If you can still talk without running out of breath you are likely not overdoing it). Or you can determine how hard you should push yourself by calculating your target heart rate. Your target heart rate is the number you end up with when you subtract your age from 220. This number represents the maximum number of times your heart should beat within one minute. So if you're 30 years old your target heart rate is 190 (220 - 30 = 190).
An easy way to check your heart rate is by placing the tips of your middle and index fingers in the groove of your throat·on either side of your Adam's apple. Count the number of times your heart beats for six seconds and then multiply that number by 10. Be careful not to overexert yourself. Remember your target heart rate is just a guideline. If you're beginning an exercise program you should only aim to reach 60-75% of your target heart rate. After six months you should be able to safely exercise up to 85% of your target heart rate.
The ultimate goal when exercising is to keep your heart pumping within a safe range for 30 to 60 minutes a day at least three times a week. Listening to fast paced music which has a similar number of beats per minute as your target heart rate is a great way to help you maintain an appropriate intensity level. If you're exercising and you find you're out of your target heart rate range you'll need to adjust your intensity. Don't forget to check your heart rate while you're cooling down. It should be below 100 beats per minute before you stop exercising.
According to music experts at Galaxie CBC's Continuous Music Network favourite songs help motivate Canadians to exercise longer and harder. Mike Giunta Galaxie's program director says studies show most people can increase their workout time between 25 and 30 per cent when they listen to music. Galaxie researchers have also found that music not only helps people engage in longer and harder exercise but also helps people put more elbow grease into their housecleaning!
Whether your goal is to increase your physical endurance or just get off the couch listening to your favourite high tempo tunes while working out will not only help distract you from thinking about how fatigued you are but may also help you exercise longer. So get grooving!
Written by Webmaster
Tuesday, 21 October 2008 23:41
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