Some people find it difficult to go to the gym without their earphones plugged in. No problem with that. In fact, studies have revealed that listening to music helps you run considerably faster and longer than without music. According to new research published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning, people tend to choose fast and catchy music for their workouts; it’s the music that motivates them, which will boost their workout sessions and motivate them to run faster.
Which Songs Motivate You to Run Faster?
Researchers from Brazil and Spain have come up with a list of songs they believe will motivate people to run faster. What they concluded is that runners who perform well are those who are listening to jams of their own choice with fast or slow tempo.
Listening to music when working out affects your body in numerous ways. For beginners, it activates the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain in control of decision-making and emotions. Not just this, but it improved the runners’ mood and psyches them up. The advantage of an active prefrontal cortex is it keeps the brain on alert, so it quickly signals the legs to take off right away.
Top Tunes Can Make Running More Fun Too
Music doesn’t just enhance your performance, but calm music helps you relax after you are done with your exercise. Researchers discovered that listening to mellow music immediately after a run helps your mind resume normal function and also get the other vital organs to start functioning effectively. Calming music helps you recover from exercise comparatively quicker.
So, what is the perfect way to improve speed and be able to run faster? To start, each person has their own music preferences they sync with, and which improves their productivity.
Which Songs Are Most Likely to Make You Run Faster?
The Museum of Science and Technology set out to find the catchiest song of all time by asking more than 12,000 users to play an online game, ‘Hooked on Music’ whose database carried clips of Top 40 Hits from the past 70 years! The one song that was most sought after was by the Spice Girls: Wannabe. Surprised? Don’t be! Almost all the most searched for songs weren’t recent. It seems that nostalgia might also play a role in really getting those motivation levels high and driving you forward.
Even if you are not into the Spice Girls, listening to their smash hit can get you running faster and burning calories faster as well. The other older songs you can add to your playlist include:
- SOS by ABBA
- Beat It by Michael Jackson
- Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
If you’re looking for something newer, there are still options for you of course. The key to choosing the right songs to help you to run faster isn’t in sticking to a certain recording decade. It’s a matter of finding what suits you and your mood when you get going. Just make sure that you pick something with the right rhythm and that makes you feel like pushing yourself forward. The last thing you’d want to do is slow yourself down by running to the beat of a slower track. The ideal tempo is typically considered to be within the range of 120 to 130 beats per minute.
Choose What Moves You
Of course, you are free to choose whichever songs work for you and get you pumped up for your run! If you’re looking for inspiration, check out this playlist of the top 100 running songs. Find the tunes that inspire you to get moving the most and then make your own playlist to ensure you’ll run faster each time you head out the door.
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