Your Workout Is Boring Because You’re Listening To The Wrong Music
There’s a debate in the workout world on whether people should listen to music or not during their workouts. Some folks also consider podcasts the better option for working out to keep things going along the way. Recently, though, scientists took a look at this debate and returned some results we can use to improve our workouts overall.
As It Turns Out, It Depends On The Workout
Podcasts hit a boom about 15 years ago when it comes to workouts. They’re great for keeping the mind engaged to help distract you from that boring jog on the same old track or to help you push through the long hours of distance training. Others swear that their ultimate running playlists do the trick to keep their minds pushing through, thanks to the familiar lyrics and energizing tunes.
The reality is, though, that the type of workout you’re doing determines which choice is best for your workout.
Great Playlists Are Best For Higher Intensity Workouts
The study found that music can “reduce the rating of perceived exertion, increase exercise enjoyment and enhance exercise performance.” Basically, that means that a good, solid, high-paced workout playlist can rev up your engines and help you workout a little harder. The study showed that high-tempo music, with up to 130 beats per minute (BPM) encouraged the study participants to bump up their workout intensity by 10%.
The main drawback of using fast-tempo music is that the music has to have the right BMP. If it’s too fast-paced, you’ll run too fast to sustain your pace which wears you out early and uses up your energy before you’re ready.
That means that listening to high-tempo music is going to best suit your HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts, boxing, sets of burpees, sprints, and other moderate to high-intensity cardio workouts.
Some Great Workout Playlists To Keep That Heart Pumping
Finding the right tempo for your workout could be challenging. Some of your favorite songs are just too fast-paced or don’t quite pump up the intensity enough, so let’s turn to the pros who’ve crafted some powerful playlists to keep you running at full steam.
Podcasts Are Best For Long Haul Workouts
Listening to a podcast or audiobook correlates best with longer-term workouts than fast-paced workouts. They benefit folks doing monotonous workouts like endurance running, cycling, or rowing and can help you breakthrough that mental wall for training for things like marathons.
Educational podcasts in particular are great because they stimulate the right portions of your brain that help you solve problems and think creatively.
Some Great Podcasts For Your Workouts
Here are a handful of great podcasts to consider whether you’re feeling that educational podcast lean or just want an entertaining storyline to keep you pushing through the miles.
