Tune in, pump it up, smash it out

There’s a reason we always crank out the tunes at the gym. Not only does music improve your motivation to exercise, it can help you train harder, faster and even lessen your mid-workout discomfort to help you power through. A strong collection of great tracks is your weapon against workout weariness.

What’s my motivation?

Your real-life action sequence deserves a killer soundtrack.

We’ll set the scene...

You’re tired after work. You know you should head straight to your workout and get it done, but you’re struggling to muster the enthusiasm. Excuses start bubbling up inside, and you’re running the risk of a half-hearted, low-energy workout – or worse, giving up altogether.

That’s when you pop in your headphones.

What’s that you hear? It’s Eye of the Tiger. This is your jam and now you’re ready for anything. You stop hesitating and smash through the workout with flying colors – you even finish up with a smile and a spring in your step, you champion.

Ok, so that particular track may be an oldie, but the right song can build you up to be the hero of your own health and fitness journey, one workout at a time. Music can turn a dreary struggle into an invigorating, hard-core training session that’ll make you feel pumped up and proud of yourself.

Need a bit of inspiration? Check out the Centr playlists and find the track that captures your workout spirit.

Go get ‘em, tiger.

Pick up the pace

Most of us instinctively try to keep time with the tempo of music we can hear – it’s a powerful influence on the pace and energy of our movements. This makes music a powerful tool for pushing ourselves to work at higher intensities.

Don’t just take our word for it: research has shown that the rhythm of workout music stimulates the primary motor cortex of the brain, cueing the body when to move. Studies have found that the tempo of music can improve exercise performance, distance traveled, pace and repetitions completed.

The ideal tempo for maximum performance depends completely on the type of exercise. For example, the best tempo for increased performance when it comes to running on the treadmill is between 123-131 beats per minute.

When it comes to matching music to moves, we’re one step ahead of you – there’s a Centr playlist for each of our training styles – HIIT, Muscle Building, Yoga/Pilates, Strength and Boxing.

Tune in to tune it out

Quite simply, music also helps distract you. If you’re focusing on being entertained by tracks you enjoy, you’re less aware of exertion and the effort you’re putting into a training session. With an elevated mood and engaged mind, you can increase your performance without even realizing it’s happening.

This distraction effect can also push you through discomfort thresholds when your training session gets tough, because you keep going until the end of a powerful song or fire out some last reps while you’re motivated by the sensory stimuli of the music.

It’s all mind – and music – over matter.