to be key – fast tempos being best for high intensity exercise and slower music better for recovery and stretching. In fact, according to Shaun Egan, UK
head trainer at global exercise class special- ist Les Mills: “T e music comes fi rst, then we devise the choreography and the exer- cise programme from there.” By selecting songs based not only on
their ability to entertain but also for their beats per minute (BPM) and structure, Egan says it’s possible to ensure “a range not only throughout the whole class, but also vary- ing intensities within each track, providing an interval-based workout that helps partic- ipants achieve more in the same time period compared to steady-state training. T e music is key to encouraging them to work harder – its impact as a motivator is massive.” Dean Steer, producer and manager of FP
Music – the music division of the fi tness trade body FitPro – adds: “A key advantage of pre-mixed music over a general iPod play-
SPA BUSINESS 3 2010 ©Cybertrek 2010
list is the phrasing: when music has been mixed into the 32-beat blocks, the class is continuous, which keeps the heart rate of the class at the right level for the correct period of time – there’s no gap between tunes where heart rates could drop.” However – in his article T e Eff ects of Music on Exercise? (IDEA T
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS oday, 1994)
– Len Kravitz PhD, a researcher at the Uni- versity of New Mexico in Albuquerque, points to some “confl icting results” in the scientifi c evidence regarding the eff ects of music on exercise performance. He states: “A review of studies indicates
that heart rate tends to only moderately follow the music.” Indeed, he quotes a 1991 study in which subjects walking or jogging on a treadmill had longer times to exhaus- tion when listening to slow, soſt music than when listening to loud, fast music. “Research is unclear at this point as to
the physiological eff ects music may have on exercise performance,” Kravitz adds.
Kravitz also suggests that music of any kind can in fact lead to a moderate increase in heart rate, thanks to the emotional eff ect of music. However, this in itself has an appli- cation, as he explains: “One valuable way an aerobic fi tness instructor can use music in the teaching arena is as a pre-class stimulus. T e majority of studies suggest that music may signifi cantly increase respiration rate and moderately elevate heart rate, preparing the student for the anticipated workout.” Not only that, but: “Although perform-
ance may or may not be enhanced by the addition of music, subjects regularly report that they felt their performance was better with the music accompaniment. T erefore, music may directly improve a person’s enjoyment of the physical activity, leading to greater exercise compliance.” Indeed, in research conducted by music licensing com- panies PPL and PRS, 80 per cent of all gym users questioned said workout music makes
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