Pump up the volume: Can music help unlock more from your workout?

Studies have shown that music can provide an ergogenic effect during exercise – meaning your tunes can help divert your attention away from your exertion, allowing you to feel more energetic while you’re working up a sweat.

A 2017 study found that in all sports tested – running, cycling, weightlifting and more – a discernible positive benefit was experienced by all participants. The study also noted that these benefits could be harnessed by anyone, regardless of ability or intensity.

Listening to music isn't a magical cure-all, though. Pumping the volume won’t distract you from DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), or an injury causing nagging pain. It’s best to understand when your body is at its limit and rest, rather than trying to push on and increasing your chance of injury.

Fascinating but true: Recent studies have shown that some tempos are better than others for different exercise intensities – but results are subjective.

This 2019 study found that participants could prolong their high-intensity exercise when listening to high tempo music. Conversely, this 2020 study found high tempo music had more perceivable benefits for endurance and low-intensity exercises.

There’s no strict rule that indicates what music you should listen to, so simply find the tempo that works best for you. But if you need a little help, follow our guide on how to put together your own workout playlist.

A workout session typically consists of a warm-up, exercise, and a cool down – which is something that can be structured in your music playlist. We suggest music with slower beats per minute (BPM) for warm-ups, higher for your workout, and slower again for your cool down.

Here are some handy BPM ranges that you can tailor your playlist to:

• Warm up or low-intensity activities (yoga or pilates): 60-90 BPM
• Steady heart-rate exercise (jogging): 100-140 BPM
• Weightlifting or other strength training: 130-150 BPM
• Zumba or other dance-related exercise: 140-170 BPM
• CrossFit, indoor cycling or other HIIT: 140-190 BPM
• Cool down: 60-90 BPM

There are a number of ways to check the BPM of a song, but the simplest is using the free online tool, Sort Your Music. After creating a playlist, log into the website, and you’ll be able to arrange your music in several different categories, including BPM.

A custom playlist can also be great for certain types of interval training, such as interval running. For example, if you spend five minutes running hard, and two minutes at a slower pace, you can arrange your music to match your rest and work intervals. Remember, creativity is key when making your own playlist.

So, what are you waiting for? Plug in and pump up the volume.