I get it. It’s challenging to say the least to hoist yourself out of the comforts of a warm doona with the prospect of your nose and toes becoming numb in the early morning chill. We are only human and I don’t think anyone finds it easy to work out when conditions are not ideal. What becomes prevalent is what tricks you have up your sleeve to help make the process that little bit easier.
Our brains are excuse-making machines – so what if we prompt it with positives and come up with solutions to increase motivation levels?
Momentum builds momentum and it’s important to try not to let yourself fall back into potentially old habits if you have been rockin’ new ways. Sure, you’re feeling a little less enthusiasm for shorter days and less sunshine but there could be simple tweaks to bring back the excitement to your workouts.
According to scientific research, bringing music to your workout can fuel your performance and motivation levels — but only if it’s the right kind. “Music plays a major role in getting people more physically active,” says Dr Costas Karageorghis, a sport psychologist at Brunel University in London who has spent more than two decades studying the effects of music on exercise. “Certain music choices can make for a more intense, potent workout, and it can increase your motivation to keep going when you feel like quitting,” he explains.
5 Ways Music Will Motivate You to Exercise
1. The biggest drawcard is it’s fun! Plain and simple. It’s easy to design your own workout playlists and it gives you something to focus on rather than the small details that can sometimes detract you from getting out the door. We are born with an instinct to move, watch any baby when you put on the tunes. Keep this in mind and match the rhythm of the music to the type of workout you’re doing.
2. It pushes you. We all have connections to certain songs which bring out an emotional response that can help override our general feelings. Are you ever feeling down and hear one of your fave songs on the radio? How do you react? Use music as your stimulant and to your advantage with workout playlists that make you want to move your body.
3. It takes the burden out of the workout. Listening to music can help lessen the boredom of hitting the pavement or a certain endurance session that is necessary to complete an upcoming fitness goal. Listening to music competes for our brain’s attention, and can help us to override signs of fatigue or just general boredom to continue.
4. Music boosts your stamina. Results from Karageorghis study in 2009 show that motivational synchronous music can elicit an ergogenic effect and enhance in-task effect during an exhaustive endurance task. In simple terms, it means you will probably exercise longer and harder and more efficiently as you are in sync with the music.
5. It promotes your inner child – We tend to be more creative during the workout. Take new routes, create new moves and routines that we may have otherwise shunned with sticking with the same old, same old. Get silly and turn up your tunes like no one is watching!
