WALKING WHITH MUSIC!!!

[maria angelica sassone]

Walking is an activity that brings benefits for all ages. But sometimes, you can get a bit repetitive and boring. So, nothing better to reap the benefits that technology offers us to bring music to our steps.
It is proved: the music and exercise are allies. Some studies have found that listening to music during physical activity improves outcomes. On the one hand, it functions as a motivator because people spend more time exercising and do it with more vigor and, secondly, it serves as a distraction from what usually affects performance: fatigue.

A study by Ohio University in the United States compared the performance of two groups with similar characteristics and found that those who walked with music traveled 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) longer than those who did so in silence.

Measurable effects
Are there songs more effective than others? For Dr. Costas Karageorghis, an associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University, England, there is "some science" in the selection of songs to accompany the exercise effective. For over 20 years, this professor studied the influence of music on human activity. In his work, developed a questionnaire through which they could rate the motivational qualities of a song in the practice of a sport or recreational activity. In honor of the place where he was studying this was called "the scale of Brunel."

Strokes do not hurt
For nearly a decade, this specialist in the questionnaires to groups of people representing different populations. The study consisted of listening to a song for 90 seconds and give a grade for its motivational qualities for various physical activities.

Karageorghis noted that one of the most important elements that encourages physical performance is a musical tempo, this includes between 120 and 140 beats per minute (bpm for its meaning in English).

Music according to the activity
It is estimated that a person walking 4.80 or 7.25 kilometers per hour, the best music is the 115-118 and 137-139 bpm, respectively, while this increases to 147-160 bpm for a runner. Ultimately, the best songs are exercising a faster bpm and to coordinate the movements.

"What I prefer to listen?"
To select the most suitable music for our walk, we must consider several factors:

1) Environment noise: Where are we going to do our walk? What is the course? Is it a noisy place? What is vehicular traffic?

The answers to these questions will shape our sound environment. If we find that it is excessively noisy, and we can not change it, it is best to evaluate the possibility of not using music in our business, we will need to raise the music volume, which will not be contributing to good hearing health.

2) Gender and music: the walk can create the opportunity to hear new music, different from what we usually hear, which can be very rewarding. And this brings into play the concept of "functional music" that is music with a specific function. An example of this is film music ("soundtrack" in English): instrumental music that accompanies moments of the story told, but not necessarily appropriate to hear sung or at home.

On the other hand, we can find and select specific music to the time of walking, give you a framework for our activity and thus, in addition to caring for our bodies, nourish and enrich our sensitivity. In this case, it makes sense that this music is rhythmic, to mark the passage of the walk.

3) Moments of the walk: it is good to anticipate the different stages of our business. That is, after the walk itself and the subsequent relaxation, and why not have music for everyone.
For all tastes ...
a) Tips for walking

√ African drum music.

√ Cuban dance music and drums (Buena Vista).

√ Colombian tropical music.

√ E (Chemical Brothers, Gotan Project).

√ Brazilian Samba and bossa nova.

√ Instrumental Jazz or Fusion.

√ Reggae (Bob Marley).

b) prior to the relaxation

√ New age (Buddha Sounds).

√ Film Music (Out of Africa, Cinema Paradiso).

√ solo instrument players (George Winston).

New
In England, has developed a free program that can analyze the beats per minute in each type of music. In this way, users can combine the music with your walk. Most of them agree old Irish folk and rock, also mentioned New age music.

Similarly, fans walk up to their schedules online playlist for your workout.