HEALTH
Do you enjoy walking? Do you also enjoy listening to or discovering new music? Walking while listening to music may facilitate improving general fitness!
How can walking improve fitness?
According to the World Health Organization, adults are strongly recommended to participate in regular physical activity. This includes:
- at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity OR
- at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity OR
- an equivalent combination of both per week.
Two days of muscle-strengthening activity are also recommended.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for an aerobic activity to qualify as moderate intensity, it should raise your breathing rate and heart rate causing you to break a sweat, but you should still be able to maintain a conversation. Vigorous aerobic activity should raise your breathing rate and heart rate more to the point where you are no longer able to maintain a conversation. Walking can be considered moderate intensity if you are meeting these standards above!
But how does music play a role in this?
Generally, music is thought to improve mood/motivation and help to distract from monotonous activities. Many songs are set at specific tempos which are maintained for their duration, thus providing a consistent “beat” while listening. Research suggests that matching your steps to the beat of a song can help to achieve a stride length consistent with moderate intensity exercise. It is also suggested that listening to fast music could be helpful for sedentary people to participate in regular exercise and improve fatigue tolerance. Have you ever found yourself listening to a song and suddenly you are stepping to the beat? This is exactly how this works!
Of course, choosing songs or a playlist at the right tempo is important to achieve the correct intensity zone for you. There are plenty of playlists available online across many platforms that provide songs at various tempos, usually corresponding to a treadmill speed (i.e. 3.0mph). If you have ever walked on a treadmill and know which speed you prefer to achieve your intended workout, begin there! You could also self-select your favorite songs and craft your own moderate-intensity playlists!
All in all, it is important to stay active, especially as we age. Not only can a fun playlist help to reach the recommended intensity it can also help keep you motivated while moving your body. Grab your headphones and strut like you mean it!
References
Almeida FA, Nunes RF, Ferreira Sdos S, et al. Effects of musical tempo on physiological, affective, and perceptual variables and performance of self-selected walking pace. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015;27(6):1709-1712. doi:10.1589/jpts.27.1709
Faulkner M, McNeilly A, Davison G, et al. Music Tempo: A Tool for Regulating Walking Cadence and Physical Activity Intensity in Overweight Adults?. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(15):7855. Published 2021 Jul 25. doi:10.3390/ijerph18157855
Middleton A, Fritz SL, Lusardi M. Walking speed: the functional vital sign. J Aging Phys Act. 2015;23(2):314-322. doi:10.1123/japa.2013-0236
WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. RECOMMENDATIONS. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK566046/
