According to NBC News, the kind of music we listen to may affect how fast or slow we move.
Researchers from the University of Ghent in Belgium asked 18 adults between ages 22 to 51 years old to walk a circular path while listening to two 16-minute music tracks with 29 genres each. All tracks had a tempo of approximately 130 beats per minute. During the trial, the participants’ speeds were monitored in relation to each track’s rhythm.
The results showed that 88.7 percent of the time, the subjects would match their walking or running speed to the tempo of the music they’re listening to. Researchers also note that when the participants listened to something that they thought to be “loud” or “aggressive” such as electro-pop, they would pick up their pace. Listening to slow music like reggae-jazz, on the other hand, seemed to cause participants to slow down.
“Expression in audio has a direct impact on our movements. It happens at a subliminal level,” lead author Marc Leman explains.
So if you find yourself feeling a tad bit lazy to exercise, update your playlist with upbeat rhythms. This won’t only motivate you to get moving, but will also make exercise more fun.
(Photo by Francisco Osorio via Flickr Creative Commons)
