FITNESS
MUSIC TO MOTIVATE
Kate Cracknell looks at the impact of music on exercise, and at ways in which operators can create
the optimum musical environment for fi tness areas KATE CRACKNELL » JOURNALIST » SPA BUSINESS
M
usic is integral to a spa’s atmosphere, yet how many operators pay attention to the tunes that are played in their fi tness area?
If you want to get the best results from
a workout, you need to listen to the right music. Most of us recognise the power of music to boost fl agging mental and even physical energy levels. For those who need more scientifi c evidence, there’s a wealth of research indicating benefi ts that range from improved control of blood pressure to bet- ter adherence to exercise programmes. But how can we quantify the bene-
fi ts? Are they purely psychological or does music somehow have a physiologi- cal eff ect? And how can operators ensure
that people are exposed to the right music – music that will ensure they get the most out of every workout?
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
Dr Costas Karageorghis is a name with which many in the fi tness industry will be familiar and we’ve written about him in Spa Business previously (see SB06/1 p120). Based at Brunel University, UK, Karageorghis was lead researcher on a 2005 study that established the ability of music to increase sporting performance by up to 20 per cent. T e study also found that listening to
songs of the right tempo and content before and during exercise could reduce tiredness by diverting the mind from fatigue, act as a stimulant, and improve
When creating group classes, Les Mills always picks the music fi rst and then designs the choreography and exercise to go with it
people’s ability to acquire motor skills. Unrelated studies have observed activity in brain regions that control movement, even when people are simply listening to music without moving any parts of their bodies – a fi nding which, according to Harvard Medical School neuroscientist Mark Jude Tramo, shows that “music is as inherently motor as it is auditory”. Elsewhere, a study by the School of Psy-
chology at Fairleigh Dickinson University in the US found that obese women subscribing to a cognitive-behavioural treatment pro- gramme had higher levels of adherence – as well as twice the weight loss at the end of 24 weeks – if they listened to music during the exercise-based part of the treatment, com- pared to those who exercised in silence.
BPM AND HEART RATES PM & HEART RATES
Weight training needs upbeat music as sedative tracks can decrease strength signifi cantly 70 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
The relationship between heart rate and tempo was found by Karageorghis’ team
SPA BUSINESS 3 2010 ©Cybertrek 2010
PHOTO: LES MILLS
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