What is the difference between an exercise session you can’t wait to escape and one that makes you feel good? Many factors matter, but one you need to know about is the soundtrack that forms the background of your workout. The right kinds of music can make your workout more achievable.
Music and exercise are a natural fit: Exercise alone can release feel-good brain chemicals, but music can help us release even more, helping us feel better during the workout. This means you can stoke motivation for those exercise sensations instead of focusing on those burning muscles and your rapid heart rate. When music and movement combine, the result is better exercise adherence and workout persistence. Without the right pairing, musical quality could also sap your motivation, so the right kind of song is key!
Not all music is created equal when it comes to enhancing physical performance. Some songs invite sadness or melancholy, and these aren’t the ones that work best for a workout (as you likely already know!) Sad love songs may not make the workout mix, but many other types of music are better than no music. For instance, a study found that in a 20-minute cycling workout, even classical music is better than no music for reducing perceived exertion. This means it felt a little easier to the study participants, but specific features in music are crucial for those who want to level up their athletic performance.
Studies in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) suggests that music “has the ability to increase peak power” during the high-effortful intervals. Other studies have similar findings, concluding that, “listening to music may enhance the short-term maximal performance” in high-intensity workouts. Other research indicates that women may be even more sensitive to this effect than men, though both men and women have shown a more positive mood when exercising and listening to upbeat sounds.
What about workouts that do not use intervals? Some research has been conducted using a simulated 5k race events, finding that these middle and longer-distance athletes are also sensitive to the music advantage. Specifically, faster music at the beginning of the race helped athletes adopt a faster pace and reduce their thoughts about the physical discomfort they were experiencing. More recent research has been trying to figure out why music and exercise are such a strong pairing.
Music isn’t just a background feature, even though many are unaware of its impact. Research indicates that music taps into emotional centers of the brain, including those that help us feel a sense of reward. This helps explain how music evokes feelings of joy, power, and confidence. During a workout, the discomfort of physical exertion can make us want to ease up on the intensity or quit entirely. This is where upbeat sounds can help: Through emotional activation, the pleasure from music can counteract what we feel during effortful movements.
During exercise, this distraction can change our focus, and we may even synchronize our pace to the beat, particularly with cycling or running. Music that creates tension, through changes in tempo or unexpected musical shifts, can also capture attention and help us enter a flow state. This is where time seems to disappear, and the physical strain of a workout becomes far less noticeable. By engaging the brain in this way, music helps override the natural tendency to focus on fatigue or discomfort, making it easier to persist and keep moving.
Tempo refers to the speed or pace of the music. For HIIT workouts like Sprint 8, this is incredibly relevant. Sprint 8 involves short (30-second) bursts of maximum effort followed by (90-second) recovery periods. Pairing faster tempo music during the intense intervals and slower music during recovery can support both performance and recovery. Faster beats increase alertness and arousal, triggering adrenaline release in the body. This helps you push harder during those 30-second sprints. Slower tempos during recovery help regulate breathing and heart rate, allowing your body to enter recovery more efficiently.
This process is called rhythmic entrainment, where the body’s systems (heart rate, breathing, even brain waves) synchronize with the sounds. When you move with the rhythm, you use less mental and physical effort to maintain your pace. This synchronization can also enhance neuromuscular coordination, helping you maintain proper technique as you move.
While popular playlists are a go-to for many, they’re not always the best for structured workouts like Sprint 8. In this HIIT program, challenging 30-second intervals are followed by 90-second recovery periods. Yet the problem with a general playlist is that it doesn’t match the rise and fall of intensity throughout your session. To get in better sync with your workout, Treo offers Sprint 8 fitness videos with a curated musical background, optimizing your enjoyment and your performance.
Treo brings you tempo-matched HIIT workouts, thanks to Antony Stewart, MSc, Fitness Director at Johnson Digital UK. He shares his expertise by incorporating music intentionally into our video library of Sprint 8 workouts, matching effort to tempo. As a result, Treo offers one of the only tempo-enhanced workouts, elevating the experience for our members.
We know that some people will remain devoted to their preferred tunes. We celebrate whatever gets you moving! That’s why we also offer the option to mute our musical selections at any time as members try our workouts. With the click of a button, Treo members can remove the sound and play their own favorites in the background.
Whatever soundtrack you select, aim for enjoyment, making your workouts something you are anticipate with confidence. Just remember that by using music to tap into flow states, distract from fatigue, and synchronize your movements, you can push harder, recover better, and look forward to every session. Music doesn’t just make workouts bearable, it transforms them into engaging, motivating experiences that keep you coming back for more.
Ready to learn more about our fitness options? Schedule a short demo today or email us at info@treowellness.com
As Treo’s Global Wellness Researcher, Karlie uses recent research findings to support healthier daily habits. Karlie earned her doctorate in Neuroscience and Behavior and bachelors in Health and Exercise Science.
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