During every workout, you reach a wall. A wall that stands between a good workout and a great workout. There are different ways to attack this wall. Some use caffeine, maybe a pre-workout drink, some simply use mental fortitude. But there’s a very overlooked secret weapon out there that can not only can you over that wall, but right through it. What is it?
Music.
Music is an extremely effective means of getting and making the most of your workout. I often find listening to music while lifting weights helps me achieve heavier lifts at higher volumes. Zoning out to a gym playlist is an extremely beneficial means of powering through fatigue. How exactly does music provide us with this newfound strength? The answer is that music distracts our minds from body awareness (Grannell). To put this in more simple terms, music distracts us from pain. This is extremely interesting as this could quite possibly be applied to other fields as well.
The Rock gets it
With this logic in mind, it would seem very logical that music should be used in several other fields. I would be interested in seeing how music applies to hospital patients, factory workers, veterans with PTSD, etc. Anyone who may be experiencing stress/pain may find the benefits of getting lost in the euphoria of music. There are actually current studies and experiments that show that music therapy can relax and soothe the symptoms of cancer in cancer patients (American Cancer Society). With no real cons to using music as a form of therapy, it should certainly be considered a form of treatment for everything.
So next time you need a pick me up, feel sick, sad, or simply need to get a sweat in; put in your headphones and play your favorite playlist. You won’t regret it.
Works Cited
American Cancer Society. “Music Therapy.” Music Therapy. N.p., 1 Nov. 2008. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/mindbodyandspirit/music-therapy>.
Grannell, Rachael. “7 Reasons You Should Listen To Music When You Work Out.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 1 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/why-exercise-workout-music-playlist_n_4173931.html>.
I am a soccer player and really into working out so I relate to this article so much! I 100% agree with you that music promotes a better workout. It blocks out the physical activity being done and blocks out the pain. Music provides a distraction for me and entertainment! For almost all my workouts, I do some type of cardio. I cannot run without music playing. I now realize that I get lost in the music during my workout, which really helps me focus. I really loved your blog and nice reference to The Rock! 🙂
I’m a dancer, so my physical activity was always accompanied by music. I’m so accustomed to hearing the music, that I never really acknowledged how crucial it is to the entire workout. Of course, the music is needed for the actual dance choreography, but there was still music playing when we would stretch, do cardio, and all other exercises. Now that I think about it, my mind would usually be lost in the music while my body subconsciously went through the motions. And there were definitely some songs that made that easier than others, depending on the tempo, etc.
On the other end of your post, you mention the use of music for therapy. I worked with a dance/movement therapy program for children with autism, and a large portion of what we worked on dealt with music. Simple motions such as marching, clapping, jumping, etc. with the music helped with the connection between their minds and bodies. We also had instruments where they shook maracas or banged drums along with the music, and it was amazing to see the improvement each week. There is definitely something about music that has a way of enhancing the quality of human life.