Imagine you’re doing your workout, feeling unmotivated and sluggish, and having a hard time getting into it. Then, your favorite song with that killer beat starts playing, and boom, a switch flips, and you’re ready to conquer the world. This phenomenon isn’t just in your head. This concept, known as music doping, can help take your workouts to the next level.
What Is Music Doping?
Music doping is intentionally using music to enhance your performance and workout experience. It taps into the powerful effect music has on your body and mind. As a result, it helps you push harder, go longer, and enjoy your workouts more. Music doping has become an essential tool for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, from boosting motivation to syncing movements with a beat. But how does it work?
Music profoundly impacts the brain and body, influencing psychological and physiological responses. It can affect breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. But there are more benefits from music doping that go beyond physical responses.
It Improves Your Mood And Motivation
Dopamine is released whenever you experience something enjoyable or rewarding, such as eating your favorite food or accomplishing a goal. Listening to music you enjoy also triggers the release of dopamine and activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which helps lower stress and anxiety.
Lyrics, beats, and melodies can stir up powerful emotions. Music can energize and inspire you to get moving, even when you don’t feel like it.
It Enhances Your Workouts
Music also releases endorphins, which can act as a natural painkiller and reduce your discomfort while exercising. Furthermore, music distracts your brain by engaging your auditory system, competing for attention. As a result, your perceived effort (RPE) makes your more challenging workouts feel easier and more enjoyable.
Music also triggers your brain’s motor cortex, helping you synchronize your movements with the beat. As a result, it can increase your efficiency, reduce the energy you use, and improve your performance. Music can align your stride to a steady tempo for walking or running, which can help you maintain a consistent pace.
Music helps block out external distractions and lets you fully immerse and focus on your workout. You’ll be more mindful of your body’s movement and sensations, which can improve your technique. Furthermore, music doping can make your workouts fun and increase your chances of working out more consistently.
Music Doping Is More Than Just Listening To Music
Music doping isn’t just about listening to any song during a workout. It’s about curating playlists of songs you like that align with your workout routine. Whether running on the treadmill or focusing on mindfulness during yoga, the right songs can make all the difference.
Music can increase your performance and help you stay laser-focused on your workout. Workouts will feel less like a chore and become more enjoyable. Even relaxing tracks during your cool-down can help you recover more effectively.
Start experimenting with BPM-specific playlists and see how music transforms your workout. The right soundtrack might help you unlock your full fitness potential. Services like Spotify and Apple Music have curated lists for workouts and moods. However, if you want to build your own list from your favorite songs, you can find out how fast they are by looking them up on Tunebat or BPM Supreme. In no time, you can build playlists for different workouts to enhance your fitness routine.
How to Use Music Doping With Your Workouts
You can create a playlist that fits different aspects of your workout routine, including warm-ups, cool-downs, cardio, recovery workouts, and strength training. The goal is to find songs that match what you’re doing during your workouts. For example, music between 120 and 130 beats per minute (BPM) can help you achieve and maintain your pace during a brisk walk.
Choosing the right tracks for each phase of your workout is essential to maximizing the benefits of music doping. Let’s look at ways to curate a playlist to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Warm-Up
A warm-up prepares your body and mind for your workout. It involves performing low-intensity exercises or movements that warm up your muscles, preparing them for your workout and helping reduce your risk of injury. A warm-up raises your core body temperature and helps circulate oxygen-rich blood to your muscles.
Music between 100 and 120 beats per minute is ideal for your workouts. Warm-ups typically last up to 10 minutes, so two to four songs in your playlist may be enough. However, you can add as many songs as you like.
High-Intensity Training
HIIT, running, cardio, or high-intensity training pushes your body to its limits. Your heart rate typically exceeds 70% of its maximum. Your body is working hard, and your breathing is increased. These workouts can be challenging. Fortunately, music doping with the right playlist can help energize you and reduce your discomfort.
Music between 140 and 180 beats per minute is ideal for high-intensity workouts. Since the duration of these workouts can vary, it’s best to create a list that lasts more than a couple of hours so you don’t have to worry about stopping to change up your music. Randomizing your playlist while listening to it can prevent listening to the same music during each workout, keeping it fresh.
Strength Training
Strength training is all about focusing on power and controlling movements. Music between 120 and 140 beats per minute is ideal for strength training. Like High-Intensity Training, the amount of time spent on strength training can vary, so creating a playlist that lasts more than a couple of hours will ensure you have plenty of songs to listen to. Randomizing your playlist while listening can keep you engaged since you can be surprised by what’s playing next.
Cool-Down and Stretching
Another essential part of any workout is the cool-down. The goal is to reduce your heart rate, slow your body down, and promote relaxation. Aim for music between 60 and 90 beats per minute to help transition your body and mind after more intense activity. Like warm-ups, cool-downs are typically 10 minutes or less, so two to four songs in your playlist may be enough. However, you can add as many songs as you like and randomize them for that added element of surprise.
The Takeaway
Music doping involves using music to enhance your workout experience and performance. It takes advantage of music’s strong influence on mood and motivation, helping to synchronize movement and increase enjoyment during exercise. Start experimenting with BPM-specific playlists and discover how music can elevate your workouts. The right soundtrack might help you unlock your full fitness potential.
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Disclaimer: No content on this site should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
