We all have that one workout playlist on standby. The one we break out when we want to dig deep, feel powerful, and conquer a physical challenge. If you’ve ever spontaneously danced in your kitchen or been spurred to run faster during your favorite song, you’ve felt how music has the power to move us. Not surprisingly, this feeling that takes hold deep within us is now being confirmed by science in study after study.
From increased stamina to a better mood, researchers are revealing just how music gives us the physical and mental boost we need to power through—and actually enjoy—a tough workout. In an article for Scientific American¹, Ferris Jabr writes, “Music distracts people from pain and fatigue, elevates mood, increases endurance, reduces perceived effort and may even promote metabolic efficiency. When listening to music, people run farther, bike longer and swim faster than usual—often without realizing it.” He goes on to explain that although music’s ability to distract us is an important factor, it’s much more than that. Certain songs can produce an emotional reaction that changes how we experience fatigue.
“The right music elevates mood and persuades people to ride out waves of exhaustion, rather than giving up.”
Ferris Jabr, Scientific American
In a study published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise², researchers used EEG to learn more about how the brain is affected by auditory stimuli during exercise. They asked participants to walk at their own pace on an outdoor track, either listening to music, a podcast, or no audio at all. By measuring their brainwaves as they walked, the researchers discovered that those who listened to music experienced a 28% increase in enjoyment over those who had no audio and a 13% increase over those listening to a podcast. Study co-author Marcelo Bigliassi summed it up by saying, “We showed that music has the potential to increase beta waves and elicit a more positive emotional state. This can be capitalized upon during other forms of exercise and render a given activity more pleasurable.”
At Glo, we create every yoga, Pilates, and fitness class with the intention that movement should feel good. We recognize that this may look different every day—some days you might want slow, gentle stretching, while on others, nothing short of an all-out sweat will do. What matters most is that you listen to your body and treat it with care; that even when it’s tough, you finish feeling confident and satisfied. With the research mounting on just how beneficial the right songs during movement can be, we knew it was time to add music to Glo.
Go ready to turn up the motivation, because music is live on Glo! We’ve matched our classes with hand-mixed music designed to energize and uplift your practice or help you feel more relaxed. Best of all, you’re in control of the sound during your practice. Simply use the music note icon on the class player to open the sound slider. It allows you to either turn up your teacher’s voice or increase the volume of the music. You get to choose your ideal balance and we’ll even save your preference for your next class.
Ready to get into a rhythm on Glo? We’ve rounded up some of our most popular classes with music in our Move to the Music collection.
Sources
1. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/
2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320980#Music-boosted-enjoyment-of-walking
