1. MUSIC AND EXERCISE

2. Enhancing movement with music/rhythm is nothing new.

3. RESEARCH

4. There is a neurological connection between sound and movement.

5. Listening to enjoyable music increases electrical activity in various regions of the brain important for coordinating movements.

6. Music effects people in the following ways: 1.Increases the desire to move vs. sit. 2.The movement tends to be in time to the rhythm. 3.The music distracts the exerciser from discomfort.

7. Listening to music while exercising can reduce the perception of effort significantly and increase endurance by as much as 15 percent.

8. MUSIC IS: Generally more effective at moderate levels of intensity, markedly less so at high intensity. Of greater benefit to less-trained exercisers vs. more competitive athletes.

9. Costas Kargeorghis, Ph. D. London's Brunel University School of Sport and Education

10. Other benefits from combining music and exercise: Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive functioning. Combining exercise with music may enhance this effect. Verbal fluency tests with cardiac rehabilitation patients – Scores were more than doubled with music and exercise than with exercise alone.

11. How do I choose the best music?

12. Distinct Rhythm The stronger and more obvious the beat is the more likely it is you will follow it.

13. Appropriate beats per minute for the chosen activity. Should correspond to some degree to the heart rate you want to achieve.

14. 80-90 beats per minute Good for warm-up and cool down.

15. 120 to 140 beats per minute The "sweet spot" for moderately intensive exercise.

16. Music that is too fast won't help performance, enjoyment, or endurance.

17. There are apps available to determine music beats per minutes: Mixmeister (free) Cadence ($4.99 for iPhone)

18. Manual way, on the computer, to determine the beats per minute: http://www.all8.com/tools/bpm.htm