Thursday, February 25, 2010

Workout Music - It's More Than Just A Good Beat To Dance To

It’s been one of those days—you know, the maddening long kind. Having just staggered to the door, unlocked it and kicked it open, you get in, heave it shut, let your bag crash to the floor, and, finally, release a sigh of relief. Congratulations, you’ve just survived another day in the jungle!

  • However, since you’re so able-bodied, healthy and just bursting with late-in-the-day energy that you can barely contain your vivacity, you jump into your workout clothes, fish your runners out from under the couch and head out for a brisk 5 mile jog, despite the 35 degree heat, in all likelihood whistling as you go.
  • If you read that last paragraph and snorted or broke out into hysterical laughter, then please, read on. If you read that last paragraph, nodded happily and thought “What a jolly good idea!” please stop reading RIGHT NOW. Go sit in a corner, and eat a litre of ice cream and a few bags of potato chips until you become at least remotely human again and feel as lazy, tired, bloated and completely unenthusiastic as a normal person.
  • Despite the best of intentions—and often, regardless of our level of fitness—exercise tends to be the first thing to fall by the wayside when we get busy. The truth is that, by the time we’re done dealing with our everyday stresses, it’s hard to work up the enthusiasm to exercise even if we do know that we’ll feel better for it afterwards.
Endorphins make us feel happy, and exercise increases endorphin levels. But since we don’t tend to exercise when we’re stressed or low on endorphins, it’s a bit of a catch 22. If only we could heighten those endorphin levels a little before exercise time we might be more inclined to get active.

One of the simplest – and strongest – ways of enhancing our moods and energy levels is music. We’ve all had the wonderful experience of enjoying a song with a great rhythm that gets our feet tapping and has us hopping around the house humming along. Similarly, a good workout music mix can get us up and moving when we’re feeling a bit flat and unmotivated.

And in addition to the emotional benefits you get from listening to music, you also get some very real physical effects. Certain types of music, such as drumming mixes and rhythmic beats are believed to help increase respiration and heart rate during aerobic workouts. Music also serves as a distraction from discomfort and from that strong desire to jog just as far as the fridge and have a beer instead.
  • The right playlist can get you up, keep your blood flowing, and then serve as a relaxant when it’s time for the cool-down. Everybody’s taste in music is different and so most people prefer a compilation of a cornucopia of artists and songs in a nice mix that builds up to a good pace and then, when it’s time to wrap up, helps you simmer down. By creating high energy workout music mix cd with enough variety to guarantee that you don’t get bored with your playlists, producers like Music Mosaic make at least that part of your workout easy.
  • If dancing around the house with a mop is your favourite type of exercise and music appreciation then you’ll also find some great dance mixes that will have you prancing with the vacuum. Be warned, your neighbours may decide that there’s a dance party happening and want to join you.
Listening to the same songs that are milked by local radio stations every day can be almost as tiring as the actual workout. This is where the lesser-known, independent little record labels can be a saving grace.

For example, the producer I mentioned earlier, Music Mosaic (yes I am a fan, why hide it?), produces a trance dance workout music compilation that’s more than just a rhythm to roll to; each song in it is a musical work of art utilising multi-cultural ensembles, world-beat and world fusion to create a truly unique sound. The music is entertaining and enjoyable in its own right, it’s not just there just to be a blare in the background.
Whether you’re exercising, hanging out with friends or just enjoying music for the sheer joy of it, smaller labels that demonstrate a vision appropriate for our time can truly enhance and enliven your experience.

In this era of lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, fattening food, and of course, desk jobs, exercise of all sorts is more important than ever. It doesn’t have to be a drag. Grab your mp3 player or portable CD player, fill it with songs that get your feet moving, and break loose!