Does Music Make You Exercise Harder?
John Cage makes me run away screaming. Fat black women make me run faster, and dance in place at the traffic lights, or used to when I was still running seven miles. You?
Here's the New York Times piece on the rather expected finding that music influences the effort people put into their exercise.
These days, I exercise only a little, in front of the TV. Little weights, little cardio. And I stand on one leg with my eyes closed, then the other leg, for 15 seconds each while I scramble my eggs. Balance exercise, so I'll be less likely to take a tumble when I'm an (eccentric) little old lady.
I tend to tune out the music so no it does not seem to affect me.
I am not sure how music would affect me. I used to find Metallica was great for lulling me into sleep -- and that was before they did "enter Sandman."
The Former Banker at August 28, 2010 1:29 AM
Absolutely! Rob Zombie and Evanescence are two of the staples for weights days and a variety of rap/Latin/alternative for cardio...Can't work out without it
the other Beth at August 28, 2010 5:29 AM
When I'm at the gym, cardio work usually calls for headbanger stuff ("Highway Star," "Detroit Rock City," etc.), or maybe some classic rock. When it's time to cool down, I'll go with something nice and quiet -- Ralph Vaughn Williams put together a choral arrangement of Barber's "Adagio for Strings" that works really well for me.
Old RPM Daddy at August 28, 2010 6:15 AM
I'm not sure I should admit this in public, but I'm a fan of Cage and his ilk. It's not what I'd exercise to, though. Lately, I've been doing my workouts while watching episodes of old TV sci-fi shows. I've been through a couple of DVDs of "Science Fiction Theater" and now I'm working on "Man in Space".
Cousin Dave at August 28, 2010 9:06 AM
Some might consider scrambling eggs "cooking".
Busted.
Steve Daniels at August 28, 2010 9:37 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/08/28/does_music_make.html#comment-1747464">comment from Cousin DaveGregg likes John Cage AND Penderecki. (Music to kill yourself by, I call this.)
Amy Alkon
at August 28, 2010 9:53 AM
I like scrambled eggs too.
Cousin Dave at August 28, 2010 11:54 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/08/28/does_music_make.html#comment-1747478">comment from Cousin DaveI like being served scrambled eggs.
Amy Alkon
at August 28, 2010 12:07 PM
Scrambled Eggs: Good
Eggs in a Basket: Very Good
Old RPM Daddy at August 28, 2010 12:29 PM
Best for running: Metallica, hands down. Followed by: Disturbed, Rob or White Zombie, Linkin Park, Nine Inch Nails, Pink, Puddle of Mudd, Trapt. Can't get my hands on a copy of Rock Sugar yet.
Girl's gotta get her grrrr on.
Eggs cooked in bacon grease with the bacon-y bits in it, and a pound of bacon on the side. Exceptionally good.
Juliana at August 28, 2010 6:09 PM
On the bike or road running (usually an hour or so), it's anything by Tool.
And since some of their songs can be 15 minutes in length, the miles go by like that.
Don't know how I exercised before w/o it.
jimg at August 28, 2010 6:23 PM
To me, Heavy Metal is great for lifting weights, and for working out in general. I can envision feeling the burn to "Sex Type Thing" by Stone Temple Pilots.
At my old gym, in Gaithersburg, they would play some metal, but they would also keep playing dopey stuff like the song where the singer sings "You're Beautiful" in that awful falsetto. I'd be thinking, "Why the hell would they be playing something like that in a gym?!?"
At my current gym, they mix Rock, Top Forty, and Country. And no "You're Beautiful!" :-)
mpetrie98 at August 28, 2010 7:43 PM
John Cage's music is an interesting intellectual exercise. But no one would mistake it for music with a groove. (not everyone wants music to groove, so I'm not a hater of Cage, but I love my hooks and danceability so Cage's stuff doesn't grab me).
Christopher at August 28, 2010 11:42 PM
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