Taken from an article written by | By Madeline Haller Sep 29, 2011
Music is a powerful emotional driver and can aid your exercise routines as well.
Whether you favor pop, rock, classical or hip-hop, the right music can make all the difference when powering through a tough workout. But if you haven’t found the right beats to boost your motivation, the solution may be as simple as switching your song selection. Learn the science behind how music affects your mind and body to find the tunes that fit best with your training.
“The Mechanism Behind The Music
Your first step in reaping the benefits of music’s motivational magic is to actually understand how music helps you through your workout.
“Music does not moderate what you feel, but how you feel it,” said Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., an associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University who has written numerous studies about the correlation between music and exercise. “It makes the exercise experience more pleasurable.”
Music also makes it easier to ignore the distractions around you and your level of fatigue, allowing you to focus on the task at hand — a process called “disassociation.” During disassociation, your mind tends to focus on an unrelated stimulus — in this case the music — rather than focusing on the energy exerted to complete the workout.
Music also alters arousal levels, meaning you can use it as a stimulant before working out, according to one of Karageorghis’ studies published in “The Sport Journal.” His research shows that music has a large effect on emotional and physiological arousal; therefore when the intensity of a song increases, it stimulates the brain by psyching up the nervous system.
But what actually happens when the tunes reach your eardrums? Basically there is synchronization between the rhythm and human movement.
“Music goes through the brain first — which controls how your body reacts to the sounds,” said Alex Doman, who studies the brain and is the author of ‘Healing at the Speed of Sound.’ “It controls our movement, regulates heart rate and breathing patterns. This results in an entrainment effect on the body, causing our workouts to correlate with the external influence.”
One of the main benefits of synchronization is its association with lower relative oxygen uptake. For example, findings of a study published in “The Sport Journal” show that runners who synced their pace to an upbeat song experienced a 15 percent improvement in their endurance compared with those who had no music.
But if the music you are listening to doesn’t fit the context of that exercise, your performance can actually decrease, Doman said.
“It’s a disruption of expectation for the brain,” says Doman. “The brain has a certain expectation of what is going to happen. Thus, if something different arises, it’s harder to recover.”
So how do you know you’re working out to the right music?
It all boils down to the tempo.
Music can allow you to avoid distractions and ignore fatigue.
Choosing The Right Rhythms
More than the artist, the rhythm, the underlying message of the song or the genre, the thing that affects your workout the most is the tempo.
“Tempo is critical because it steadies your heart rate with the movement,” Karageorghis said.
The average standing heart rate sits anywhere between 60 to 100 beats per minute, but as you work out, your heart rate increases. When you’re looking to find appropriate music for a workout, the beats per minute should correlate with the intensity of the workout you plan.
When doing low-intensity exercises such as walking, yoga, a warm-up/cool-down routine or jogging, listen to music that falls in the BPM range of 90 to 115. A light workout correlates best with music when the tempo is slow — thus making entrainment easier.
“With entrainment, your brain waves are modifying your breath, pulse and movements to mimic the rhythm of the song. Therefore slower tempos seem to slow body movements,” Doman said.
When it comes to selecting your low-intensity workout songs, the best genres are those with a slower tempo, such as alternative, soft rock, indie rock and ambient music.
As you move from low to moderate intensity, your heart rate becomes elevated, so it’s crucial to switch up your music selection. For these exercises, such as weightlifting, group exercise classes and cardio machines, seek out songs to correlate with your 115 to 135 BPM.
Karageorghis notes that activities that are naturally repetitive — such as weight training or cardio machine workouts — pair well with music that has a repetitive rhythm. If you plan on doing a repetitive exercise, choosing artists that typically compose songs with a repetitive tempo will be most effective, such as AC/DC, the Black Eyed Peas and maybe even some Pink Floyd.
For high-intensity exercises — cycling, running, intense cardio routines, heavy lifting — you’ll want music with a BPM of 135 or higher to really get your blood pumping.
Faster tempos increase body rhythms, so as the exercise becomes more challenging, the quicker tempos will help you stay focused, Doman said. And as your music gets more intense, the rise in the BPM will help the body experience disassociation. So when putting together your selection, shoot for hard rock, techno or more upbeat pop music.
And although tastes vary from person to person, Karageorghis said that in his research he found that women respond best to pop music while men tend to respond best to rock or rap.
“At the end of the day, everyone is going to have their own preferences when it comes to music selection — which is OK,” said Doman. “But once you find that correct tempo that complements your routine, your workout will feel much more efficient.”
PS. I play music - 10 minute preclass start, with a tempo range of 115 to 135 bpm to arouse my participants emotions and physiologic state for an upcoming hour of – warm up, medium intensity strength training, and cardio with a brief cool down. Vince
Cut Sugar and Drop Weight
Eliminate sugar in its many forms
Eating your favorite breakfast cereal or multi grain bread and fruit juice may not be a healthy choice, despite the barrage of advertisements to the contrary. Sugar transforms into triglycerides which are the chemical form in which most fat exists in body. Regardless of whether it’s added as table sugar, consumed in ice cream, converted through high glycemic carbs or swallowed in fruit juices or sugary soft drinks in the form of high fructose corn syrup which actually contains little fructose and mostly glucose.
Avoid Blood Sugar Spikes and Drop Weight
Cut back, or even eliminate sugar in its many forms to drop risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Excess sugar and carbohydrates are the primary reason so many people are unable to lose weight, as it wreaks havoc on your metabolism, causing sharp spikes in blood sugar.
This results in excess residual blood sugar, which is eventually converted to triglycerides for storage as fat. Break the sugar rush cycle, and your body will begin to function properly by releasing excess fat, with weight loss as a natural result.
Swap Fruit for Sweets
Your goal is to eliminate sugar in all its different disguises entirely from your diet. This is best done slowly through a carefully planned series of substitutions.
Fruit works well, as it has the same sweet taste as sugar, yet for most people doesn’t promote the rapid blood sugar surge due to its fiber content. Grab an apple instead of cake for dessert, or have a healthy bowl of mixed fruit and berries instead of your favorite breakfast cereal with fruit juice. Include a protein source to further level the blood sugar response.
Research is shining a bright light on how rapid blood sugar surge causes metabolic alterations which promote the storage of fat. In order to drop our risk from this number one killer, and naturally lose weight, we must slowly cut back and remove sugar in all forms from our diet.
We consume sugar from many sources, including fruit juices, table sugar, baked goods, breads and drinks. Fruit juices are associated with a higher risk of diabetes. Fruit juices have the same number of calories per serving as coke or pepsi, so you can expect that it will have the same metabolic effects. Some nutrients come along with the fruit juice, but there is a big metabolic price to pay or getting nutrients that you could get from foods the have fewer calories. A glass or two of orange juice a day doesn’t have many health benefits and has many harms.
A plan which methodically eliminates sugar entirely will have a positive impact on our overall health and assist in natural weight loss. Vince.
The Brain
The human brain is the most complex and least understood part of the human anatomy. There may be a lot we don’t know, but here are a few interesting facts that we’ve got covered.
- Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour. Ever wonder how you can react so fast to things around you or why that stubbed toe hurts right away? It’s due to the super-speedy movement of nerve impulses from your brain to the rest of your body and vice versa, bringing reactions at the speed of a high powered luxury sports car.
- The brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb. The cartoon image of a light bulb over your head when a great thought occurs isn’t too far off the mark. Your brain generates as much energy as a small light bulb even when you’re sleeping.
- The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica. Or any other encyclopedia for that matter. Scientists have yet to settle on a definitive amount, but the storage capacity of the brain in electronic terms is thought to be between 3 or even 1,000 terabytes. The National Archives of Britain, containing over 900 years of history, only takes up 70 terabytes, making your brain’s memory power pretty darn impressive.
- Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream. The brain only makes up about 2% of our body mass, yet consumes more oxygen than any other organ in the body, making it extremely susceptible to damage related to oxygen deprivation. So breathe deep to keep your brain happy and swimming in oxygenated cells.
- The brain is much more active at night than during the day. Logically, you would think that all the moving around, complicated calculations and tasks and general interaction we do on a daily basis during our working hours would take a lot more brain power than, say, lying in bed. Turns out, the opposite is true. When you turn off your brain turns on. Scientists don’t yet know why this is but you can thank the hard work of your brain while you sleep for all those pleasant dreams.
- Scientists say the higher your I.Q. the more you dream. While this may be true, don’t take it as a sign you’re mentally lacking if you can’t recall your dreams. Most of us don’t remember many of our dreams and the average length of most dreams is only 2-3 seconds–barely long enough to register.
- Neurons continue to grow throughout human life. For years scientists and doctors thought that brain and neural tissue couldn’t grow or regenerate. While it doesn’t act in the same manner as tissues in many other parts of the body, neurons can and do grow throughout your life, adding a whole new dimension to the study of the brain and the illnesses that affect it.
- Information travels at different speeds within different types of neurons. Not all neurons are the same. There are a few different types within the body and transmission along these different kinds can be as slow as 0.5 meters/sec or as fast as 120 meters/sec.
- The brain itself cannot feel pain. While the brain might be the pain center when you cut your finger or burn yourself, the brain itself does not have pain receptors and cannot feel pain. That doesn’t mean your head can’t hurt. The brain is surrounded by loads of tissues, nerves and blood vessels that are plenty receptive to pain and can give you a pounding headache.
10. 80% of the brain is water. Your brain isn’t the firm, gray mass you’ve seen on TV. Living brain tissue is a squishy, pink and jelly-like organ thanks to the loads of blood and high water content of the tissue. So the next time you’re feeling dehydrated get a drink to keep your brain hydrated.
GETTING FIT
GETTING FIT IS AS SIMPLE AS A B C.
BUT IT IS NOT EASY.
ATTITUDE
You must have the right attitude from the moment you start. Develop a success-orientated attitude and avoid negativity at all costs.
ACCEPTANCE
A is also for acceptance. In that you must accept the fact that fat loss and good healthy fitness requires constant daily effort. Because once you accept that, you will take it more serious and commit to your nutrition and training plan, which ultimately makes healthy fitness a lot easier.
ACTION;
A is also for action. In that you must take action and apply what you know you need to do, because until you do it, it really doesn’t matter what you know.
BELIEF
You must believe that you will succeed and attain the body you want As the saying goes ‘You must believe it, if you want to achieve it.’ Develop the attitude and belief that this year you are going to look and feel your absolute best
CONSISTENCY;
You must be consistent with your training and nutrition to make significant changes in your body. Provided you are consistent with your training and nutrition from now onwards you will see good results. There’s room for errors. Small mistakes will happen, but repeated mistakes or major slip-ups will let you down.
Keep yourself hydrated! Don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
P.S.
You can improve your fitness at home, without much equipment or join a community group. Just walking is not enough.
Resistance stretch bands and tubes are inexpensive, safe, convenient, portable and the most effective equipment. Reccomended by most professionals. They are easy to use and there are many routines available
http://cgi.ebay.ca/5-4-FT-REPband-EXERCISE-RESISTANCE-WORKOUT-BANDS-ABS-/120492908476?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c0defdfbc
Vince Nash
Do you want to stop Osteoporosis?
Are you 50 or more? A senior eh!
Are you starting to stoop and lean forward?
Are you afraid of hip and spine fractures?
Have you been looking for exercises to prevent poor posture.
Is your balance becoming a problem?
I have been teaching functional fitness for over fifteen years.
I have heard all the things you shouldn’t do. Such as:
To keep proper alignment, avoid the following positions or movements:
Having a slumped, head-forward posture
Bending forward from the waist
Twisting of the spine to a point of strain
Twisting the trunk and bending forward when doing activities such as
coughing, sneezing, vacuuming or lifting
Anything that requires you to reach far.
An example is reaching up for items on high shelves when you could lose your balance and fall.
Don’t lift or carry objects, packages or babies weighing more than 10 pounds.
If you’re unsure about how much you can lift, check with your healthcare provider or physical therapist.
And many other dumb statements like the above.
These are just some of the ridiculous statements I read and hear all the time from many so called professional and experts.
The truth and the fact is you need to do proper exercises so that you can do all the things in the list above.
When did you first notice your slopping shoulders?
When did you notice your balance was declining?
When did you notice you were running short of breath?
Probably since you started to slow down in your daily activities.
Kids have grown. House work has gotten easier. Your job isn’t as strenuous.
You’re not participating in the sporting events you did when you were younger.
You are retired. You are watching a lot more TV. You spend too much time at the computer.
These are the prime reasons your health is declining and you have been told you have OSTEOPOROSIS.
It is Not Old Age. It is not a disease. You are out of condition.
You don’t need to be a fitness freak to maintain a healthy lifestyle,
but you do need to replace your idleness with some good basic exercise regimes.
I teach fitness classes to folks 55 years and up. Most are able bodied, some have disabilities.
My main goal everyday is to motivate them to work hard.
To work at a level where they feel they are improving.
We use weights, resistance bands. resistance loops. resistance foam, resistance tubes.
We walk while we are working. By the way it is work.
We call it an exercise class but the folks come prepared to work.
We do all the things in the list above, about what not to do.
Most days there are so many people in my classes we can’t move.
Most of these folks have been coming for many years.
The classes continue to get larger and larger and I have to fit in new time slots to
keep up with the participants joining. By the way. I have classes everyday. Five days a week.
Three to five one hour classes a day. Oh! you think that is too much? You are wrong.
Many of the people come every day. A lot of them even go to other classes or do sports on off days.
Do you know why? Because they can. They are fit and in good condition Oh by the way I am 72 years old.
When I get some time I will show you some of the exercises I do in these classes.
Keep watching here.
If you can’t find a good expert class to go to. Get started anyway at home.
This is a bit of a rant. Do I ache and am I tired after a good day of exercise? You bet I am.
And my posture and balance are perfect. Not a bit of osteo either.
Vince.
See you soon!
Go to the following ebay site to find some good buys on resistance bands and tubes.
http://stores.ebay.ca/Exercise-Resistance-Bands-Tubes
| Pain is a signal from our body that something is not right. It can be due to a physical injury, some kind of disease, or emotional upset. Most types of physical pain can be treated with pain relievers. MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN RELIEFThere are alternate methods to help reduce pain that may be helpful instead of, or in addition to, pain medications. These include heat for sore or overworked muscles, ice applied to recent injuries (such as a sprained ankle), cryotherapy with herbal products(cold soothing topical gels) for temporary pain relief, massage, resting the affected body part, and relaxation techniques such as medical Tai Chia
Consult your doctor if pain lasts longer than a few days, if over-the-counter pain medications are not helping to reduce the pain, or if other symptoms arise. A consultation with a pain clinic or other specialist may be helpful for control of long-term pain. Types of painPain can be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute pain is a direct biological response to disease, inflammation, or tissue damage, and usually lasts less than one month. It may be either continuous or recurrent (e.g., sickle cell disease). Acute pain serves the long-term wellbeing of humans and the higher animals by alerting them to an injury or condition that needs treatment. In humans, acute pain is often accompanied by anxiety and emotional distress; however, its cause can usually be successfully diagnosed and treated. Some researchers use the term “eudynia” to refer to acute pain.
In contrast, chronic pain has no useful biological function. It can be defined broadly as pain that lasts longer than a month following the healing of a tissue injury; pain that recurs or persists over a period of three months or longer; or pain related to a tissue injury that is expected to continue or get worse. Chronic pain may be either continuous or intermittent; in either case, however, it frequently leads to weight loss, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and other symptoms of depression. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain is resistant to most medical treatments. It is sometimes called “maldynia,” and is considered a disorder in its own right
.
Further treatment of either acute or chronic pain may involve several different approaches to therapy.
Massage
Massage therapy is the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for the purpose of normalizing those tissues and consists of manual techniques that include applying fixed or movable pressure, holding, and/or causing movement of the body Acupuncture
Acupuncture, one of the main forms of therapy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been practiced for at least 2,500 years. In acupuncture, certain points on the body associated with energy channels or meridians are stimulated by the insertion of fine needles. Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, or water therapy, is the use of water (hot, cold, steam, or ice) to relieve discomfort and promote physical well-being. Cryotherapy gels with herbal products can effectively help relieve pain from: Cryotherapy with herbal products relieve pain prior to:
• Ultrasound Treatments • Massage Therapy • Soft Tissue Trigger Point Therapy • Rehabilitation Exercises • Pre and Post Workout Stretch Buy Cryotherapy gels with herbal products at http://cgi.ebay.ca/2-BIOFREEZE-ROLL-3OZ-89-ml-Pain-relief-Back-Joints-/120702543327?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c1a6ea5df
This feature is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the care and information received from your healthcare provider. Please consult a healthcare professional with any health concerns you may have.
|
“Can I have your answers to the two questions below?”
If we lived in only one room and it was our entire experience, we would know everything about this environment and could function with all the basic knowledge we had. We could just replay the already- mastered skills.
If we move out of that room into new experiences and environments our brain would need to learn something new to survive.
At any age our aging brain can rejuvenate and improve itself. Our brain is so plastic it has the ability to change and learn even until death. We know by many studies that physical and mental activity lead to better brain function and the more we participate in stimulating mental and physical activities the more fit our brain becomes and the less likely we are to succumb to ill health and diseases.
The more challenging the activites required to learn new skills, the more fit the brain becomes.
Physical activity is also helpful because the mind is based in the brain and the brain needs oxygen. Exercise strengthens the heart and the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the brain and helps people who engage in exercise feel mentally sharper. Recent research shows that exercise stimulates the production and release of the neuronal hormone growth factor BDNF, which plays a crucial role in affecting change.
Whatever keeps the heart and blood vessels fit invigorates the brain, including a healthy diet.
A strenuous workout is not necessary, but consistant moderate functional movement will do the trick.
Exercise stimulates and maintains your brain’s balance system and will ward off balance problems as we age.
I have two important questions for you. I would like your comments on each of them.
1; When a Stroke affects (damages part of) the Brain, does it also affect the Mind?
2; If a six month old healthy child were restricted to a wheel chair for a year, could she learn to walk?
The summit of happiness is reached when a person is ready to be what he is. Erasmus
Vince Nash.
Talk to you soon.
- Make this a part of your home strength and cardio equipment
Are you spending too much time and money at a gym. Are you busy and don’t like the crowds and parking??? Well here is a way to save time and money and get good results, fast and easy at home.
USE RESISTANCE BANDS AND TUBES with a “Door Anchor Strap”
Resistance bands and tubes are the most effective fitness equipment available for conditioning an getting healthy. They are used universally for therapy, Pilates, Yoga, sports training and motor control.
They are used in many electronic games such as NINTENDO Wii Active Personal Trainer and
HOME FITNESS P90X training program
Warming up and stretching with bands and tubes is recommended by many professionals before you play golf, baseball, basketball, hockey, football, dance, ballet, gymnastics and many other competitive events.
Bands and Tubes exercises are safe and easier on your joints and muscles then weights and machines. They are more versitile then the popular costly Bowflex.
A small investment in exercise resistance stretch bands or tubes will pay dividends for a lifetime of good health and fitness.
I use them regularly in my fitness classes, with my soccer team and many clients.
You can do a full body workout or work on one specific area.
If you are using them now, you’ll know what I mean.
They are available at most sports retail stores, Walmart, Pharmacies and online.
They come with Natural rubber Latex and Latex free. Most hospitals and clinics use Latex free. If you are using bands and tubes now you should have an “anchor point” to make the best use of them. With one or two “Door Anchor Straps”you can make any door at home your personal trainer
I’ll see you soon with more Fitness tips and ideas.
Vince Nash
Have a great day.
“Some pursue happiness. Other create it”
You can get this handy accessory at this ebay site. http://cgi.ebay.ca/Door-Anchor-Attachment-Resistance-Band-Exercise-Strap-/120684298717?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c195841dd check it out.
Learn Sarver Heart Center’s Continuous Chest Compression CPR.
No Mouth to Mouth
This is so important; everyone should know how to do this.
Please watch the 6 minute New CPR video. http://ahsc.arizona.edu/node/730
Maybe you will save a life. Not for children or drowning.
Vince Nash
P.S. To all my trainer followers and everyone. Please pass this along.
Hello. I thought this following published study was important to send along to my readers.
http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN60264809/ISRCTN60264809
2011 Feb;152(2):440-6. Epub 2010 Dec 21.
Effectiveness of small daily amounts of progressive resistance training for frequent neck/shoulder pain: randomised controlled trial.
Andersen LL, Saervoll CA, Mortensen OS, Poulsen OM, Hannerz H, Zebis MK.
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark. lla@nrcwe.dk
Abstract
Regular physical exercise is a cornerstone in rehabilitation programs, but adherence to comprehensive exercise remains low. This study determined the effectiveness of small daily amounts of progressive resistance training for relieving neck/shoulder pain in healthy adults with frequent symptoms; 174 women and 24 men working at least 30 h per week and with frequent neck/shoulder pain were randomly assigned to resistance training with elastic tubing for 2 or 12 minutes per day 5 times per week, or weekly information on general health (control group). Primary outcomes were changes in intensity of neck/shoulder pain (scale 0 to 10), examiner-verified tenderness of the neck/shoulder muscles (total tenderness score of 0 to 32), and isometric muscle strength at 10 weeks. Compared with the control group, neck/shoulder pain and tenderness, respectively, decreased 1.4 points (95% confidence interval -2.0 to -0.7, p<0.0001) and 4.2 points (95% confidence interval -5.7 to -2.7, p<0.0001) in the 2-minute group and 1.9 points (95% confidence interval -2.5 to -1.2, p<0.0001) and 4.4 points (95% confidence interval -5.9 to -2.9, p<0.0001) in the 12-minute group. Compared with the control group, muscle strength increased 2.0 Nm (95% confidence interval 0.5 to 3.5Nm, p=0.01) in the 2-minute group and 1.7Nm (95% confidence interval 0.2 to 3.3 Nm, p=0.02) in the 12-minute group.
In conclusion, as little as 2 minutes of daily progressive resistance training for 10 weeks results in clinically relevant reductions of pain and tenderness in healthy adults with frequent neck/shoulder symptoms.
In generally healthy adults with frequent neck/shoulder muscle pain, as little as 2 minutes of daily progressive resistance training reduces pain and tenderness.
Copyright © 2010 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PMID: 21177034 [PubMed - in process]
