According to today’s technological hierarchy, if your portable gadget isn’t letting you enjoy your favourite tunes on the move, it’s time to upgrade.
Pedestrians and commuters these days just don’t seem complete without a set of headphones plugged into their ears. Thanks to earbuds that are as good as a zombie bite, and gazes fixed firmly down on the ground in front, foot traffic through big cities nowadays eerily resembles scenes from Dawn of the Dead, only in fast-forward mode.
Without Adele to hold our hands through spots of self-pity, or David Guetta to help gear us up for the weekend, it seems life has become just that little bit harder for us to handle.
Gym floors in health clubs everywhere are no exception to the musical madness. Up until a couple of years ago, the most common form of feedback from gym members everywhere primarily concerned the type and volume of the music being played.
A multitude of members working out at any given time meant that tastes in the building could range anywhere from heavy metal to classical music. With every member equally determined to state their preference, it was virtually impossible to keep everyone happy.
To the delight of fitness staff, however, the complaints and requests suddenly dried up. Today people just don’t bother with the public music on offer anymore, preferring to bring along their own. If the coolest film stars live their on-screen lives to the rhythm of even cooler background music, then why shouldn’t we?
But there’s just one problem. While we tune in to entertainment technology, we tend to tune out from the world around us. Music occupies our thoughts, leaving us less able to concentrate on what is going on around us.
By evoking certain memories or feelings, our favourite tracks can sometimes put us in a day-dreamy trance. Don’t worry, I’m not about to tell you your headphones are better off left in the locker or gym bag, but with a little planning you can integrate music effectively without compromising the safety or quality of your workout in any way.
Let’s have a look at some safety issues. If you’re running or otherwise exercising outdoors, having your music on loud means you can’t hear cars or other dangers approaching.
If you’re running on a promenade, also avoid making enemies out of people or lampposts.
If it’s particularly busy, turn the volume down so you can also tune in to ambient noise. If it’s a particularly hazardous route, or you are running directly on the road, ditch the music altogether; it simply isn’t worth the risk.
Always remember that runners and cyclists have tragically lost their lives on our roads. If you are running or cycling in apparently safe conditions and feel it is safe to play the music loud, get in the habit of keeping a finger primed on the pause button at all times. Crossing streets and changing direction in any way are all perfect moments to press pause.
You will face far less danger in the gym; however, particularly when working with free weights, due caution must still be exercised. When working with barbells or dumbbells, unless you have the gym to yourself, plenty of space, and a clear view of everything around you, then silence is certainly safer.
In a crowded gym where space is limited, it is very easy to bump into other members or fail to realise the space you are occupying is a major traffic pathway if you are in any way distracted.
Once you’ve settled on a cardio machine like the treadmill or bike, however, this is the perfect time to get the music going, zone out, and just let your body take over.
So now we’ve ensured our safety, what about the effect of music on the actual quality of our training? This is where your musical planning and preparation comes into play. Music can distract you from the signals your body tries to give you, and alter your natural rhythm.
In other words, music stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which explains the sudden surge of energy you may experience while listening to specific tracks, or the sudden lethargy you may feel while listening to others. This effect can work for or against you, so don’t leave your playlist order to chance, put a little thought into it and let’s get some muscle behind that music.
During cardio sessions, plan your playlist so the most energetic tracks are scheduled for those moments you intend to push the hardest. Ensure the total time of your playlist corresponds to the total time of your workout.
Warm up to slow rhythms and for interval training workouts schedule alternating fast and slow rhythms corresponding to your planned speed or intensity. Synchronising your workout in this way will eliminate the problems of pushing too hard in your warm-up or feeling a lack of energy during those points you would like to push harder.
If each track is approximately three minutes long, a two-track warm-up followed by three fast/slow cycles and a final cool-down tune is a perfect interval training workout inside half an hour. Vary the tracks to mix things up a little and keep you motivated.
With resistance training and free weights, particularly if you’re lifting heavy, you definitely don’t want any distractions to throw your timing off. For anything other than cardio, keep the volume down, or turn it off altogether.
If you are new to exercise, in all instances put the music on hold for a while until you learn to listen to the natural rhythms and signals coming from your own body.
Spend your first few workouts focusing on controlling your breathing, relaxing, and becoming aware of the positioning of the various parts of your body during that particular exercise. Once your technique becomes automatic, it’s safe to press play.
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