Exercise In The 21st Century: An iPod Treadmill Workout

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
myTreadmillTrainer.com

Did you know that an iPod is a pretty capable fitness machine? No? Well, it is – just not in the way you think.

If you have ever seriously exercised on a consistent basis, then at some point you have probably discovered just how helpful music can be.  It can motivate you, drive you, and entertain you all at the same time – but it can also do more. Music can actually help you set and keep a pace throughout the workout.

This article will talk about how an iPod treadmill workout can benefit you and how music works to help push you along (whether you like it or not).

How Music And Exercise Fit Together

Anyone who has attempted to run any sort of distance consistently knows that repetition and rhythm are the keys to a good, solid run.  Our long runs are possible because the human body has a tendency to slip into a comfortable rhythm, adopting a natural pattern or cadence that helps keep us going.  Music just reinforces that tendency.

And that is just talking about the natural properties of music.  We haven’t even mentioned how the specific type of music can be beneficial.  It is pretty well known that the pace of the music you listen to can dictate how fast you run or perform any activity (with faster-paced songs making you exercise faster).  The actual genre of the music, though, can also be an influence.

Picking The Right Tunes To Rock Out

Let us focus on an iPod treadmill workout and how it theoretically works.  Running can be boring, to be honest, even if it is an incredibly healthy form of exercise.  It can also be challenging.  Sometimes, music is just what you need to keep you going.

Some people like pumping out fast-paced, beat-heavy, in-your-face music – like heavy metal – to give them that extra mental motivation to slug it out and keep up a fast pace on the treadmill.  Others turn to the actual lyrics themselves, and prefer songs that motivate, inspire, and otherwise drive them to keep going based on purely psychological factors.

Those are the two biggest ways that an iPod running workout is possible and can be very beneficial.  It all really depends on how fast you want to go and what kind of mindset you want to be in during your run. 

Of course, unless you want a nice, relaxing, and slow run or walk, it’s probably not a good idea to rock out to Beethoven.  I love some classical music, but it’s hard to imagine crushing a hard 3-mile run on the treadmill while blaring music from an old composer who wore funny-looking white wigs.

But, to each his own.  Whatever works for you should be on your iPod or MP3 player when you hit the treads.

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