Articles on Exercise | Topics: exercise, exercises, exercising
by Pragati Wheeler
Are you looking for a way to increase the positive effects of your commitment to exercise? According to doctors and researchers, you can increase your motivation and concentration and decrease your conscious effort when you exercise by making one simple change – the music that's playing while you work out.
People have known for decades that music makes work seem easier – but now researchers have proved that music is one of the strongest personal motivators known. According to studies headed by Dr. Jimmy Smith, a sports psychologist who practices in Texas, the right music can make you exercise harder and burn calories faster. Because exercisers are focusing on the music instead of on their bodies, he believes, they don't feel the strain as much, so they work harder and longer. One of the most interesting findings of his research is that the best music isn't high-energy, fast-paced dance music, as many workout trainers have assumed.
Instead, Dr. Smith found, the 'best' music for working out depends on the tastes of the exerciser. In one study, he had 15 students each do four workouts on exercise bikes. The first one was done with no music, the second to slow music, the third to fast music, and the last to music that they picked out themselves. In every single case, the students worked harder, longer and faster when they were listening to their favorite music. The results on all the other tracks were mixed, but when students were listening to their own choice of music, they pedaled faster and harder, and worked out longer than with any of the other three selections of music.
What does this mean for your workouts? Pop in your favorite music, say the experts, and let the good times roll! For many seniors, that means pumping up the volume on the Golden Oldies while they pump up the meter on their hearts and lungs. Working out to the Oldies is one of the most popular aerobics exercise classes at many senior citizen centers. Others get into the swing of exercising with the Big Band sounds of the Forties, or the Fabulous Fifties. And for an increasing number of fit and active seniors, exercising to music means square dancing and line dancing.
| Historical Quote |
There is not enough exercise in this way of life. I try to make up by active gymnastics before I dress when I get up, by walking rapidly in the lower hall and the greenhouse after each meal for perhaps five to ten minutes, and a good hand rubbing before going to bed. I eat moderately; drink one cup of coffee at breakfast and one cup of tea at lunch and no other stimulant. My health is now, and usually, excellent.
| —Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893) |
|
|
According to the Central Puget Sound Square Dancing Council, square dancing is the perfect low impact aerobics workout for seniors. They quote Dr. Arron Blackburn, who conducted a study of square dancers as old as 80 and concluded that they were as healthy and fit as adults ten years younger. According to Dr. Blackburn, "It's clear that square dancing is the perfect physical exercise. It combines all the positive aspects of intense physical exercise with none of the negative elements."
What Dr. Blackburn says about square dancing can be said of nearly any kind of dance. Rhythmic movement to music is more than just great exercise. It also challenges the mind, involves the whole body and includes social aspects that are hard to find anywhere else. Dancing is "the ultimate togetherness workout" says Phil Martin, an instructor at California State University at Long Beach. According to Martin, steps like the Samba, the Cha-Cha, the East Coast Swing, the Foxtrot and the Viennese Waltz can raise your heart function to the levels required for aerobic benefit without the strain of a more boring workout. You just don't notice the effort because you're having too much fun.
And having fun is another part of the benefit of working out to your favorite golden oldies. Studies show that seniors who have a regular social outlet are less likely to be depressed and are healthier than those who are solitary and alone. Part of the reason may be the fun factor, says Martin. It's a lot harder to keep up a regular three times a week workout than it is to go dancing every Saturday night.
Whether your favorite workout is the Lindy, the Charleston, a break-dance or a polka, the music you choose can be the key to keeping yourself in shape, and having fun while you're doing it. You can find local dance socials by checking with your senior citizen center, or in the Events section of your local newspaper.
|
We strive to provide
only high quality articles on our website. If
there is a specific topic about exercise that you do not see but would like us to cover, please contact us here.
Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Get Exercising with some Golden Oldies Music for your Golden Years" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by HealthExerciseSports.com. |
Potato Recipes
By Fabian Nunez
The humble potato is probably the most versatile food in the world and is relatively easy to grow. It can be boiled, sautéed, roasted, baked and sliced for fries....
Medications to help you Quit the Smoking Habit
By Vicente Figueroa
As anyone who has tried before knows, quitting an addictive behavior like smoking is a very difficult process. Along with support groups and behavior modification techniques, the U.S....
The Osteoporosis Threat During Menopause
By Willie Gentry
When women reach menopause, they have to deal with a host of new physical challenges. One of the most important menopause related issues that woman should recognize is the threat of osteoporosis....
Little League Baseball
By Prasert Wood
There is no more an American a tradition than Little League baseball. For generations upon generations, hopeful dads have sent their sons out onto the field to play that greatest of American games – baseball....
|
