The Psychological Effects of Music
I’ve been doing so serious research on this, so here we go:
Music is a known motivator in exercise performance. How it affects the exercise and the exerciser, exactly, is a subject of different findings because of the many research methods used. Yet, the one thing that is constant is music can be viewed as “enhancement drug.” Its effects are psychological.
Workout music is a necessity for many professional athletes. It helps them be at a peak performance and have a satisfactory workout. Nothing in the field of exercising has been as productive of a pair as the pairing or music and exercise.
Research shows music tends to distract the mind and body from the fatigue and pain when exercising. It elevates moods and creates a perceived lower exertion while increasing endurance during workouts.
It Inhibits Physiological Feedback
The body will show signs of fatigue after a given period of exercise. The point at which fatigue sets in varies from person to person. The muscles start having high lactate levels, the heart races to stabilize blood flow, and sweat production increases. All these are signs showing the body will soon need a break.
The introduction of music often inhibits the physiological signs by having a psychological effect on the brain. The music starts changing a person’s perception of the level of exertion during the workout session. This, in turn, makes it easier to do a few more weight lifting reps or run those 15 miles.
Music inspires and motivates; it has the power to transform and enhance a person’s workout. Music has a positive effect on how the brain functions and this then trickles to the rest of the body. When exercising, a person needs a feel-good feeling as a motivator when starting exercising and music tends to provide that kind of feeling.
The Right Music Is Important
Music is diverse, and it is that diversity that makes a particular type of music suitable for a particular form of exercise. For instance, soothing sounds can be views as workout music suitable for yoga and meditation when quick-tempo music suited for high-impact workouts such as lifting weights or doing aerobics or dance exercises.
With workout music, everything boils down to personal preference. House music and Hip-Hop are genres with a high tempo and both suit high-impact exercises. However, some people feel that Hip-Hop music is what gets them going while others prefer house or techno music. It all depends on the psychological effect of the music.
The emotions that the different music types evoke in a person. In some cases, the emotional state of the singer and even the viewpoint tend to have some degree of influence on how motivated a person will be when working out. Nevertheless, the lyrics of a song may not have a high impact as the tempo and rhythm.
Exercising is often tiresome, arduous, and boring; music is the external element that relieves the mind and body of these negative feelings. It is a master of distraction, especially when doing low or moderate intensity exercises. It may, however, have a less impact when used during very high-intensity exercise; but, the response to the workout music will differ from person to person based on the type and tempo of the music.