We Got the Beat: How Music Impacts Health and Fitness
In Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, iconic British neurologist Oliver Sacks said that: “Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears – it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more – it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.”
Dr. Sacks suggests that music can do more than activate memories: he explored how songs help those suffering from devastating diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s by briefly enabling a person’s movement, speech, or sense of identity.
Singing, dancing, rapping, listening to music, and playing a musical instrument are known to improve our well-being, generating a decrease in anxiety and an improvement in mood regulation.
Music can impact how we recall certain events or moments in time. New findings published in 2024 uncovered that music can alter the emotional tone of memories, suggesting that music could be used therapeutically to treat depression or PTSD due to its potential to positively reframe negative memories.
Research suggests that background music, or music that is played while the listener is primarily focused on another activity, can improve performance on cognitive tasks in older adults. One study found that playing more upbeat music led to improvements in processing speed, while both upbeat and downbeat music led to benefits in memory. And a 2023 study from the University of Geneva revealed that practicing and listening to music could prevent working memory cognitive decline in older adults stimulating the production of gray matter in key brain areas.
Indeed, creativity has a powerful impact on our health. A study conducted among 2,000 people aged 13 and above by the Adobe Foundation and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) discovered that among those who report engaging in any creative activity, nearly two-thirds identified an improved sense of confidence in their abilities as a benefit, reporting that creative activities reduced feelings of stress or anxiety and improved their overall mental well-being.
On the Flip Side: Creative People Are More Likely to Be Affected By Mental Health Issues
It should be noted that, paradoxically, the creative or musically inclined are more likely to be affected by mental health issues, according to some published research, although there is debate around this amongst scientists. Many researchers attribute the mental health problems seen in musicians to the nature of the job and the environment.
A study of 35,000 people found that those deemed creative were nearly 25% more likely to carry variants associated with mental disorders. And a survey of 1,500 independent musicians found that 73% have symptoms of mental illness.
Yet, with an increase in celebrity performers like Selena Gomez speaking out about their health struggles, there has been a larger public conversation about mental health and a more widespread call to increase awareness and education about how to obtain help when facing challenges. Somewhat ironically, music or art-based therapies focused on reducing stress and isolation can be used as a tool to improve mental health and wellness.
Music as Therapy
Research has proven that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain, as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental functioning, and memory. And that’s why music therapy is used to help people of all ages, including those impacted by severe brain trauma, cancer, autism, ADHD, strokes, and substance use disorder, as well as seniors diagnosed with Parkinson’s, dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease.
A recent study found that using a form of music therapy helped improve social engagement among people with dementia and their caregivers and lowered caregiver distress.
People who listen to music also tend to recover more quickly following a stressor. Evidence also shows that high-frequency music leads to the greatest stress relief, lowering cortisol and increasing oxytocin levels.
How Musical Fitness Improves Health and the Effects of Technology on Music-Driven Wellness
Exercise, a known health booster, works in tandem with music to make us well. Musical fitness elevates our health, with technology increasingly playing a role in bolstering the positive impact of our physical activities.
A survey highlighted that 94% of fitness app users view music as essential for motivation. And another study showed that 80% of fitness studios and gyms played music in group fitness classes.
Custom user playlists created by fitness teachers and by those who just like to work out are an increasingly important confidence-boosting tool. A 2024 trends report from ClassPass showed that people are flocking to themed music classes (and pilates) at a growing rate.
And music apps are playing a growing foundational role. From personal mobile apps to clinical digital interventions, technology and artificial intelligence (AI) is swiftly advancing music’s ability to influence and personalize wellness.
The most recent published Spotify report of listener activity revealed a strong connection between music and fitness, with users creating over 97 million workout and fitness playlists globally. Patrons of the popular music app are creating empowering workout and wellness playlists, with hip-hop, rock, and pop music being extremely popular when it comes to building fitness confidence, according to the data.
AI data algorithms can analyze musical characteristics to create custom data-driven playlists designed to achieve specific music-based training physiological outcomes, such as reducing heart rate and stress hormones while promoting relaxation. And some music-based technological interventions can also monitor physiological responses in real-time via wearable devices, using AI to dynamically adjust the music if the desired effect is not achieved.
Pump Up the Volume: How Music Tempo Impacts Fitness
Music can improve exercise performance, effort, and motivation through a decrease in fatigue perception and an increase in brain activity. Elite and Olympic athletes have reported listening to music during training sessions, pre-competition, and warm-up activities because they believe it improves their mood, motivation, and performance levels.
Listening to fast music has been proven to increase exercise metabolism, cardiac output, and oxygen consumption (VO2) during exercise compared to no music, particularly when it comes to running and cycling. A 2011 study showed that in order to achieve the best performance for cycling, which was calculated by measuring exercise intensity through heart rate, the preferred tempo is between 125 and 140 beats per minute (bpm). And a 2014 study found that the best music tempo for enhanced performance on the treadmill is between 123 and 131 bpm.
On the other hand, fitness performance has been shown to decrease if people don’t like what they are listening to.
Christopher Ballmann, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Alabama’s Birmingham’s School of Education, has developed an area of research addressing the impact of music preference on exercise performance from a physiological and psychological standpoint.
“I see music as medicine and in combination with exercise results in profound health benefits,” Ballmann said in an article. “It is well-documented that music alters physiological processes and can alter stress responses and motivation and can increase brain activation. My group has shown music can alter how hard muscle contracts, resists fatigue and increases effort. Many of our findings show that it changes performance and has immense applications to improvements in health.”
Music Will Bring Us Together: Music Boosts Social Connection, Reduces Isolation
Loneliness increases rates of disease and drives the risk of early death. Communities can use music to generate a sense of belonging through music programs, choirs, and educational initiatives, helping to fight the increasing loneliness epidemic and provide a positive support network, according to the World Health Organization.
Group musical fitness classes, shared musical engagements, and listening to live music decrease isolation. And in a world where technology is often taking the place of human interaction, it’s important to remember that music will make us better by creating connections and building emotional competence, self-esteem, a greater stress response, and community.
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The Promise of Wearable Health and Fitness Tech
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Above image: Tin pan alley - a revue of popular music (1980) poster by Lanny Sommese. Original public domain image from the Library of Congress.