Listening to Music during your Workout Can Increase Weight Loss: My Play List

By CocoaDiva on Jul 22, 2008 with Comments

Studies show that listening to music has a positive effect on your work out. Those who listened to music while working out have increased motivation and are distracted from the fatigue that work outs bring.

Dr. Costas Karageorghis, an associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University in England, has studied the effects music has on exercise for years. Karageorghis states that a song’s tempo should be about 120 to 140 beats-per-minute. These BPMs mirror the average person’s heart rate during a routine workout. For example, he states that “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa and “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg are around that range, as is the dance remix of “Umbrella” by Rihanna (so maybe the pop star was onto something).

For a stroll walker going at a pace of around 3 miles an hour, a remixed track has a count of 115 to 118 B.P.M.; for a power walker going 4.5 m.p.h., the count is 137 to 139 B.P.M., while the B.P.M. for a runner elevates to 147 to 160.

Additionally, a 2005 study showed that participants who listened to music while walking lost more and had a greater reduction in body fat than those who did not include music in their work out.

“The more unfit you are, the more difficult exercise is,” “Music helps break the monotony of exercise and provide a distraction from the physical exertion.”

Mix up your playlist – if you keep playing the same tunes, pretty soon you will find your motivation dropping because your mind will tune out the muisc.

So get out that iPod and lets get crackin!!

My Current Playlist - Right now these babies are in heavy rotation on my iPod. I currently play songs that keep me pumped and motivated to continue hitting the treadmill.

Honorable Mention

Push it – Rick Ross
Stunna Shades – The Federation
Stronger – Kanye West

Top 10

10. PYT Michael Jackson
9. Damaged – Danity Kane
8. Go Hard or Go Home – E 40
7. Spaz – N.E.R.D.
6. Spotlight – Jennifer Hudson
5. International Swagger – Glow in the Dark Mixtape ( N.E.R.D. and Kanye)
4. Ms. New Booty – Bubba Sparks
3. Got Money – Lil Wayne
2. Big Boi – Kryptonite
1. Fuego – Pit Bull