Title
High-tempo music could make exercise easier and more beneficial
Research Area
Tackling Inactivity
Author
Patania et al; Frontiers in Psychology, 2020
Summary of Findings
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology outlines the results of research into the impact of music tempo on female volunteers. Those studied were doing either regular endurance exercises (e.g. walking on a treadmill) or high intensity exercises (e.g. using a leg press) with some exercising in silence and others listening to music at different tempos and a variety of parameters were recorded including the volunteers' opinions about the effort required to complete exercises and their heart rate while exercising, as a higher heart rate would mean that the exercise was more beneficial for physical fitness.
The researchers found that exercising whilst listening to high-tempo music resulted in the highest heart-rate and lowest perceived exertion. The implication being that this way of being active seemed like less effort, but more actually more beneficial in terms of enhancing fitness.
Implications
Identifying bespoke solutions for underrepresented groups is key to tackling inactivity and this information is a helpful tool as we engage with residents in our priority areas. This research adds to previous findings which have inferred that music can distract from fatigue and discomfort and increase participation in exercise.
One note of caution is to remember that the way we experience music is subjective, with cultural factors and personal preferences impacting on its potential impact.
.png "High-tempo music could make exercise easier and more beneficial")
