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Music's
a powerful motivator for workouts
By Natalie Andrews
December 28, 2004 | Utah
State University Students are pounding the pavement
and rocking out to music as they jog with headphones
while exercising. Students that use music as a motivation
for exercise aren't alone and fitness experts often
suggest indoor runners try listening to music to spice
up their workout.
"It's not so that I run better, it's that I'm not
so tired and don't have to focus on running," Melanie
Taylor, 21, a junior majoring in biology said about
her workout routine. Taylor runs at the Sports Academy;
her average workout is about sixty minutes.
The type of music matters, too. "It can't be slow
music, it has to be fast," Taylor said. Right now
she is listening to a burned mix of Plain White T's
and Lucky Boys.
Heidi Evans, 19, a sophomore with a dual major of public
relations and law and constitutional studies, agrees
with Taylor.
"Music that is heavy; music that is loud and gives
me motivation to get my butt in gear. If it can get
me angry, that's really good too," Evans said of
the music she plays in her portable CD player.
"Right now, I'm on this 80s classic rock kick and
I like to listen to Lover Boy," Evans said.
Fitness journalist C.J. Gustafson in an article from
Fitness
and Sports Magazine explains why these girls
enjoy their headphones. "It can help you focus
and give you something else to think about while enduring
even the most strenuous parts of a workout. It is a
good way to check out new music and expand your horizons,"
Gustafson said.
Music is being noticed as such a big pick-me-up that
a series of marathons and half-marathons are paying
bands to perform along the routes of their runs. Elizabeth
Cox, director of community relations for Elite Racing,
Inc. is one of the organizers for the Rock
and Roll Marathon in Phoenix Jan. 9. The committee
found the bands that will be playing along the route.
"The music certainly adds some spice to the marathon
environment," Cox said. "You're not just running
down a blank stretch of road - there are bands, themed
water stations, cheerleaders and thousands of spectators
who have come to partake in the excitement and festivities."
Music can be the perfect solution to those avoiding
exercise because of Logan's cold weather or the monotony
of a treadmill.
"Music has been a really good training tool over
the years. Songs helps me create the right mood--calm,
grounded, optimistic, energized. And warm. Don't forget
warm," Chris
Bergland, a 24-hour treadmill record setter, said
in an interview in Runner's World magazine.
"I listen to drown out the sounds of the gym so
that I can focus on what I'm doing," newsgroup
poster Jenn said on Google rec.runners. "I also
use some of the songs to do intervals. I will on occasion
listen to music outside, but it's turned way down so
I can hear what's approaching."
Then, there are those that enjoy the natural sounds
of nature, no matter how cold it is.
"When I'm outside, I think I run better when I'm
not listening to anything," Brooke Christensen,
19, a junior majoring in elementary education said.
She favors bands like Yellowcard, Dashboard Confessional
and U2 when exercising indoors.
"A lot of the time I listen to classical or I might
listen to punk if I want to go fast or get pumped up,"
Kinsey Kelley, 20, a sophomore majoring in technical
writing said. Kelley runs in the mornings, always outdoors,
rain or shine.
They aren't alone on this. At the Google rec.runners
newsgroup, Tom Phillips posted, "I run to focus
on running and get away from such distractions. Sure
not about to carry a CD player or headset about on my
runs. Thing would drive me nuts, all that crap hanging
about my ears and head."
They are smart for not listening to music when running
outdoors, as it can be dangerous to not hear approaching
vehicles or persons. Cox feels as though the Rock and
Roll race series are the perfect motivator for those
that want to safely listen to a party outdoors.
"Just look around your neighborhood YMCA or 24
Hour Fitness," Cox said when asked how many of
the racers in the Arizona run probably use music in
a workout already. "Check and see how many people
have armband radios, a headset plugged into the elliptical
trainer or ipod stuck in their warm-up jacket."
The Rock and Roll marathons and half marathons are in
Arizona, San Diego and Virginia. There's also a country
music marathon and half marathon in Nashville.
"The bands set the tempo for this 26.2 and 13.1
mile party, where runners and spectators alike will
be "Dancin' in the Streets" to 40 mini-concerts,"
the Arizona marathon page says of the race. The marathon
will feature everything from punk rock to country to
Cajun style music.
"Music takes the monotony out of exercise, it gives
you something else to focus on, a beat to move your
feet to, a burst of adrenaline from a catchy tune,"
Cox said. "Music transports our minds to another
place. Research has shown the effect that music can
have on our lives - certain music makes us nostalgic,
sad, happy, elated, etc - a thousand different emotions.
"I run faster. I run longer. It just all works
better if I've got music," Evans said.
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