Beat bopping during your runs

June 7, 5:58 PMIndianapolis Running ExaminerRyan McNeil

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Music is used is all facets of our lives, including when we exercise. Incorporating music into your runs can not only keep you entertained but it also benefit you in more ways than you think. Carrying music has become increasingly easy with the age of digital music and the wide range of devices for playing your digital music.

Research has found that listening to music during an aerobic activity such as running, can affect your performance. The right music can help motivate as well as help your cadence. The lyrics and tempo of the music have an impact on your mood, so your song selection should keep you optimistic.

Song selection for runs should be broken down into three parts the warm-up, main workout, and home stretch. Your warm-up songs should help get you geared up for your main workout but allowing you to still stay relaxed so you can ease into your main workout. The main workout songs should be more upbeat allowing you to stay focused for longer runs. Towards the home stretch of your workout your song selection should include those that really evoke positive emotion to help you bear through the difficult parts of your run.

If you are training for an upcoming race, it’s good to picture yourself running during the stages of the race while your music is playing. Then when race day comes, you can re-play those songs over in your head.