Fitness enthusiasts see headphones as an essential part of their workout gear, and according to new research—their heart is in the right place. A new study from the University of Verona in Italy came to the conclusion that fast-paced songs can aid your performance at the gym.
Luca P. Ardigò of the University of Verona in Italy, one of the professors who conducted this research, pointed out that exercising can seem more effortless to people who are listening to fast music along the way.
“We found that listening to high-tempo music while exercising resulted in the highest heart rate and lowest perceived exertion compared with not listening to music. This means that the exercise seemed like less effort, but it was more beneficial in terms of enhancing physical fitness.”
Ardigò and his colleagues mostly focused on the effects of high-tempo music on endurance training, and volunteers in the study were performing two types of exercises—walking on a treadmill or using a leg press.
The experience of listening to music during workouts is still highly subjective, and it depends on many factors. If you enjoy it, try adding some faster tunes to your workout playlist, and see if they change your sweat session for the better.
