Why Music is Killing Your WorkOut
Ever find yourself relying heavily on your workout playlist to power through gym sessions? It's time to reconsider the impact of music on your fitness routine and explore the benefits of working out without any tunes.
Since I started my fitness career in 2018, I've always listened to music while exercising. Whether I was competitively powerlifting, lifting with the football team in high school, or just exercising with my friends there was always music going on; and, the right or wrong song could change everything.
Many people spend hours creating the perfect playlist for their workouts, and while taking a quick look in any gym you will see a large number of individuals on their phones; whether they be texting, checking their social media, or chaining their song. Many people rely so heavily on music and having the wrong song come on can completely throw off an entire workout. There have been times I have driven to the gym just to realize I forgot my headphones and would have to drive back to get them before working out that day.
This reliance on music is not only unhealthy, but it creates a major disconnect between your body and mind; now let us look at some of the benefits of not listening to music in the gym!
Benefits of Working Out with No Music
To start, I would like to draw attention to your mentality and reasoning behind going to the gym. It's important to know why you are there and what your purpose is. If we were to ask the average gym enthusiast, most people are there to better themselves. That can have a variety of meanings; getting stronger, losing weight, working on cardiovascular health, etc. Most people would agree that different types of music create different moods. This leaves us to ask the question: Are these moods distracting? For many, the answer is yes. A song can come on that makes you sad, thinking about your life while you are going through your workout. Or maybe one comes on that reminds you of your past weekend when you were drinking and partying with your friends. All of these are taking away from your mental connection with your body and muscles. If you want to avoid injury, increase strength, and overall be healthier; then your time spent in the gym should be focused, uninterrupted, and intentional. You should aim to be one with your body, increasing the connection you have with your muscles not making that gap wider. This will allow you to not only recruit more muscle fibers to each lift, but you will notice your overall awareness of your body will increase. When we go to the gym, we all have the intention of bettering ourselves in one way or another. So why are we so keen on letting the music take away from our goals instead of embracing the 1 to 2 hours we are there and getting the most out of our session.
The most sought-after elements in workout music are fast-paced beats, motivational lyrics, and bass. We are going to dive into the problems of fast-paced beats. The biggest problem with this is how it will affect your breathing throughout your workout. While we won't go in-depth about different breathing techniques and the benefits and times to use them (although maybe in a future blog :)) having a fast-paced beat innately makes your breathing increase. For most exercises, this is the complete opposite of what we want. Having a controlled breath, even when doing cardiovascular work is almost always better, allowing you to think more clearly, be in touch with your body, and raise your awareness through all movements.
Some more scientifically-backed benefits of no music workouts include boosting your problem-solving creativity. One article explains "While some research has shown that music may boost one’s divergent thinking — the ability to brainstorm new, original ideas — the preponderance of studies has shown that music inhibits creativity overall", where Brett and Kate McKay further go on to explain that working out increases our convergent thinking, where your brain can roam more freely and focus in on details of specific problems in your life. For anyone who is looking to increase their creative thinking, this could be a very beneficial way of doing so.
The last point to touch on is how music can prolong your workouts. Almost without thinking when your favorite songs come on you will start to be less efficient in the gym, slowing down your pace. Or, you will notice your attention being taken away from the start of your next set until you find your perfect song. As well as the problem of always being on your phone to change songs, which may seem like just a few seconds, but they add up significantly in the long run.
Overall, whether you listen or don't listen to music will come down to your preference. I have always had the attitude of being willing to try anything and see if it works for me. So, I encourage all of you, that next time you go to the gym to lift weights or go for a run, leave the headphones behind; remember, you are there to better yourself. Increase your connection with your body and muscles, and become aware of each fiber you are using or even the little aches you have. The more aware you are, the more responsive you can be to avoid inures and reach your goals faster! In the future, I would love to touch on music's effect on our everyday lives and how it decreases how in touch we are with our surroundings! (If that is of interest to you send me an email!)
Ready to elevate your gym sessions and maximize your fitness gains? Challenge yourself to leave the headphones at home during your next workout and focus on tuning in to your body's cues instead. Share your experiences and insights with others in the fitness community to inspire a new wave of mindful exercise practices!
