Does music help you lose weight? Since music has been shown to increase performance during exercise in several ways , it's safe to say yes: music contributes to weight loss.
There's no doubt that a good playlist is a powerful motivator for both mind and body . Feeling motivated and generally enjoying your workout is key to achieving your fitness goals, including weight loss.
Advantages of listening to music
Music makes workouts more enjoyable, which is why it's a good idea for people who don't particularly enjoy physical activity . Furthermore, songs can increase concentration, coordination, and motivation, as well as reduce perceived exertion.
Fast-paced songs help you train with greater intensity, while slower songs can be useful for returning your heart rate to its resting level more quickly. For this reason, some experts advise choosing songs based on your heart rate during exercise . In this regard, it's important to note that there are music streaming services that allow you to filter songs by BPM (beats per minute). These services also offer a wide variety of playlists specifically designed for workouts, which can increase their intensity and effectiveness.
It should be noted that the benefits of music are considered most noticeable when combined with moderate exercise . Conversely, they would not be as beneficial when the athlete is working at a very intense level during their training.
Gets you moving
Music plays a crucial role during training as it does beforehand. It has the power to inject the necessary energy and motivation to begin . This is especially helpful on those days when it's hard to get moving, whether due to a lack of energy or motivation, or both.
Reduce perceived exertion
To prevent weight loss (and overall results) from plateauing, it's essential to make progress in your training. This means running faster and for longer. That applies to running, but the same is true for all cardiovascular exercises, such as cycling or walking, and strength training. Researchers believe that music helps you lessen the extra effort required to break barriers and surpass your personal bests (at least until you reach your anaerobic threshold).
Compared to a workout without music, the pace tends to be faster and more consistent when a playlist is playing. A higher tempo is thought to push you to work harder and faster during a workout while also mitigating some of the fatigue. Regarding volume, it's important to be mindful of safety. It shouldn't be too low, but neither should it be too loud. The most important thing is your hearing health. It's worth noting that experts warn that regularly exposing yourself to excessively loud music can cause hearing loss.
In short, listening to fast-paced music is a great strategy for burning more fat in each session, as it helps increase the intensity of the workout. Spinning classes are a good example. However, some people, in order to avoid focusing on the difficulty and disconnect their minds from all the unpleasant sensations that sustained effort can trigger, simply need the music to improve their mood. Whether it's slow or fast doesn't matter to them; it's enough that it resonates with them on an internal level. Therefore, the best music for weight loss would be that which keeps you motivated during the workout.
Accelerate recovery
We've seen the role music plays before and during training, but what happens afterward? Listening to slower songs after training can help reduce blood pressure and heart rate , as well as the negative effects that exertion can have on the body.
Apparently, slow music makes recovery faster and more effective than fast music, or even silence . For this reason, if your goal is to be in the best possible condition for your next workout, pressing play might also be helpful.
In addition to helping cool the body down after running or weightlifting, listening to music with the aforementioned rhythm is also considered a good warm-up . The idea is to gradually increase the tempo of the songs as the intensity of the workout increases, so it's recommended to start with slow songs for the warm-up and then move on to faster songs as your heart rate rises.