Looking to lose weight? If so, music could be your perfect ally.
In fact, research has shown that those who workout with earbuds, burn off more calories & expend more energy than those who don’t. Something that all comes back to the underlying rhythm you find in music.
It’s this which is ultimately the reason why certain tracks cause you to hum, tap your feet or even feel like going full-on crazy & punching the living daylights out of a wall. Feelings that all go a long way towards helping you push through the barriers of pain. And besides, it’s not like your playlist has to be the cliche workout music either.
If high-octane club tunes don’t do it for you, then try your luck with Hip Hop, RnB or even bubblegum Pop. In the end, what music you gym to, really doesn’t matter. The main thing is that it gets you fired up & encourages you to put one foot in-front of the other. Only then does a workout turn from a mundane chore into something that’s actually quite entertaining & fulfilling.
Want to discover more about how music can help you lose weight? Read on to discover 4 reasons why music should be a major part of your diet plan…
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Music = motivation
The number one thing you need when losing weight is motivation.
Find it & you’re far less likely to call it quits at the first hurdle – i.e. push beyond pain & make real progress! And as luck would have it, motivation just so happens to be a common consequence of listening to music. Although the type of music will depend on who you are. So while one person may find motivation in a bouncy Pop tune, another may be more fired up by a fast-paced Hip Hop track or a portion of hardcore Rock. Either way though, you can’t escape the fact that music plays with our emotions.
Exactly why music has such power! Pinpoint that one track which makes you go kamikaze, & the likelihood of you pushing through your workout til the end, is far more likely. Then of course, if you know what fires you up, you use it to your advantage. Create your own music playlist of motivational anthems, & you can use them intentionally to supercharge your work ethic, family life, relationships & virtually any other aspect of your life, besides your fitness goals.
Do so & who knows, this next diet may actually be your last.
Music serves as a mental distraction
Focus on the pain you feel during a workout & you’re far more likely to burnout. Let’s just say that focusing on every ounce of pain you feel isn’t exactly a way to make workouts enjoyable. It’s here where music comes in.
See, there’s a good reason why music is such a popular accompaniment to any workout; it’s no coincidence that 90% of gym goers wear headphones. Music is (in some respects) a form of pain relief because of how it impacts your brain. Music activates a different part of the brain known as the auditory cortex.
It’s this which helps to shift the focus of your conscious mind onto something other than your pain. In this instance, the music you’re listening to. So really, you could even go as far as to say that music is a psychological painkiller itself. It takes any pain you experience from the foreground of your mind & muscles it into the background.
A great hack to help boost your efforts + help time in the gym go that bit faster.
Music lifts your mood
For virtually all of us, music is an emotional trigger.
That’s why we turn it up in our cars after a breakup, or go out on the town & end up in a nightclub. We can relate to it – it tugs on our emotions. So it’s little surprise that it can also have the same effect at the gym.
In fact, team the uplift you get from music with all the dopamine & endorphins that rush to your brain as a result of doing physical exercise, & you’ve got the recipe for a serious high. Combine that with meaningful lyrics & it’s little wonder that music’s also said to double as a mood booster.
In other words, that incessant urge to comfort eat suddenly loses its strength. Heck, because music gets you moving, but also emotionally engaged with working out, a small part of you may even start to find joy in this place called the gym (shock-horror).
Music helps you regulate your breathing/ performance
Success at exercise really all comes back to pace.
Without it, you’ll burnout within the first 5 minutes & probably end up severely injuring yourself – i.e. giving yourself a good reason to slump on the sofa & comfort eat. Hardly what you want if you’re trying to lose weight or make lasting change. Hence music.
Being based around the concept of rhythm, music serves as a great way for you to (A) gauge your pace/ keep it constant & (B) regulate your breathing. Think of it as a metronome, but for fitness. Find the right pace of track & you can pretty much use it as a benchmark to ensure that your performance doesn’t waiver.
Remember: losing weight is all about the long-game. Consistency is key! So if you can use music to coax your body into a rhythm, exercise should come naturally & over time become less of a strain on your body.
Reach this point, & you can start to really play around with rhythm. Throw in some faster tracks to up the ante, as well as a few slower songs to serve as breathing room. Really look at it & if you use music in this way, you can almost plan your workout ahead of time.
Now if that doesn’t say ‘recipe for improvement’, then we don’t know what does.
Here’s why you should create your own music playlist…
Hopefully now, you understand just how beneficial music is when it comes to losing weight. It’s a device/ tool/ trick up your sleeve that if used effectively, can dramatically impact the chances of shedding the Ibs. It also (crucially) gives you control.
Create your own music playlist to structure your workout & you could end up changing the whole trajectory of your entire life!! Manage to lose the weight (+ keep it off) & here’s just a few of the knock-on effects it may bring about…
- You could meet someone new
- Get offered a life-changing opportunity
- Gain the self confidence to follow your dreams
- Have a better understanding of who you are
- Use what you’ve learned to help someone else with weight loss
The list goes on.
So before you roll your eyes at the thought of using music to spur on your workout, do give it a serious chance. And by that we mean, really try to create your own music playlist that motivates & inspires you. Don’t just ‘make do’ with any old songs.
Do so & you’re already halfway there. Take our word for it – the best version of yourself is just around the corner.
