Classical music and Exercise

Is this the kind of music they play when you go to the gym? Yes it’s true that any music helps us exercise harder and longer – but there’s research showing that fast-paced dance tunes favoured by fitness clubs aren’t necessarily the best.

Instead, classical music may produce better results. The advice comes from British neuroscientist Jack Lewis who says classical music sets the best tone for exercise. He scoured numerous reports and found that  it has the added benefit of reducing the heart rate, blood pressure, and the level of cortisol in the body. That’s the hormone associated with stress. His top pick for your workout: Beethoven’s Symphony No 4, fourth movement.

Dr Lewis also recommends matching music with heartbeat – with faster beats better as a session gets harder. He also recommends  listening to music before exercise, as well as during, and choosing tunes that have sentimental value.