Paleo Fitness – 12 Proven Ways Music Improves Your Workout

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Don’t forget those headphones! Music improves your workout in ways you probably never even considered.

Have you ever watched a toddler’s spontaneous response to music? They hear a song and start moving right along to the beat!

As adults, we’re no different. Fast, upbeat music prompts an innate urge within us to move, so it should come as no surprise that music has the power to enhance our workout.

In fact, a few years ago, USA Track & Field officially recognized that music gave athletes a competitive edge. As a result, they banned athletes from using music in races where awards or money were at stake. Today, many athletes view music as “essential to peak performance” when exercising or competing in a sport.

Get those tunes pumping, because we’ve got 12 proven ways to show you that music can make your workouts better than ever.

Provides a Satisfying Workout

Music improves your workout simply because music is one of the great pleasures of life. Listen to your favorite high-energy songs as you move through your exercise routine for a more pleasurable experience.

Distracts You from Discomfort

While we may discredit the “no pain, no gain” mantra, there’s no arguing that exercise stresses out the body in order to achieve results. Music improves your workout by taking your mind off any pain or discomfort you may experience while exercising.

Increases Endurance

Music is connected to emotions and can stimulate a greater performance. When you create your own motivational playlist, expect your endurance to rise!

Elevates Mood

Your frame of mind is everything when it comes to your physical performance, whether you’re competing in sports or simply exercising to stay fit. Music can lift your spirits, give you a positive mental attitude and put a spring in your step. Beat or tempo, positive lyrics, and any memories or associations you have with a particular song are all important factors in elevating your mood.

Maximizes Your Effort

There’s also a tricky factor at play: Music gives the perception that you’re putting out less effort to accomplish more in your workout. That’s because the distraction of the music increases pleasure while distracts from pain, helping you reach that finish line with seemingly less effort.

Oxygenates Your Blood

In a study involving cyclists, researchers measured oxygen levels in their blood. They found that when cyclists pedaled in cadence to music, they required 7 percent less oxygen to perform at the same level as those who did not listen to music.

Gives You Encouragement

When your efficiency and endurance is high, why stop? A great playlist can be just the thing you need to pump you up to work out – and keep you in the zone.

Sets the Pace

When you choose music with a high tempo, you can sync your body to it in your workout to help you keep an even pace. Setting a strong cadence while running, biking, or doing any other rhythmic exercise will help keep you efficient and consistent.

Increases Strength

While this may seem like a bold claim, researchers discovered that listening to the right music actually can increase your strength. They conducted a “grip” test and alternated stimulating, energetic music with sedating, relaxing music. When listening to the energetic music, subjects demonstrated significantly higher strength scores.

Promotes Post-Workout Recovery

Keep the music going in your cool-down. Here’s why: one study found that listening to music after a hard workout took more steps during recovery and recorded lower perceived exertion scores.

Improves Coordination

Even your motor skills can be improved with a few good tunes. Swiss researchers discovered that an exercise program combined with music improves gait, balance and coordination among seniors and those rehabilitating from injuries.

One of the strong elements of music in these improvements is the rhythmic beat and the connection between the brain and motor skills.

Speeds Reaction Times

Music improves your workout by quickening your response time. One study showed that music with a fast beat stimulated the emotional state of the athletes and promoted quicker reaction times.

Watch this video – 5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR WORKOUTS & MAKE PROGRESS FASTER | Workout Science Explained

Tips for Putting It All Together

The impact of music on the brain and its influence on our mood, stress, response, and other factors is pretty amazing!

When you’re building that workout playlist, look for music that meets these criteria:

• Has a strong, invigorating beat (about 120 – 160 bmp for a more intense workout)
• Features upbeat, positive lyrics and a stimulating melody
• Offers a rhythm that syncs well with your activity
• Satisfies your personal tastes

Need more help finding the right songs? Here are several sites that offer workout music mixes:

• Nike Music (8tracks.com)
• JogTunes.com
• Songza.com
• Jog.fm
• Pandora

Or you can put together your own workout playlist by going to Song bpm to determine the beats per minute of your favorite songs. Remember to look for songs that are 120 – 160 beats per minute for the harder parts of your workout – it can be less for the warm-up and cool down.

The Bottom Line

Music improves your workout, plain and simple. A good playlist adds an element of pure enjoyment and stimulation to put you in the mood to work out, while providing you with at least a dozen benefits! What’s on your playlist?

Don’t let your favorite songs take up too much space on your phone! You’ll want to make room for these Top 11 Fitness Apps that make exercising fun.

Written by Rob Fischer

Author Bio:

Rob has been writing professionally for over 35 years. His experience includes writing curricula, study guides, articles, blogs, newsletters, manuals, workbooks, training courses, workshops, and books.

Rob has published thirteen books and serves as a ghostwriter and editor for other authors. As a certified life coach, Rob is passionate about helping others grow and achieve their goals. He loves hiking, bicycling, snow shoeing, and cross-country skiing.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

What Can Be the Easiest Way to Tackle ED

 

 Click on Here to Discover How You Can Increase Stamina and Heal Erectile Dysfunction Without Using Drugs

Most men think it’s a complicated task to overcome ED and even that it’s incurable.

Many try strong medications or hormonal therapies with horrendous side effects.

It may therefore come as a surprise to you how simple and effective the method is that was proven in a new study published in JAMA Network Open.

It has no side effects other than lower blood pressure and cholesterol, improved blood sugar levels, and other health markers. Plus, of course, drastically increased stamina.

ED and cardiovascular disease share many of the same risk factors, namely, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, a lack of exercise, sedentary habits, obesity, and smoking.

In fact, the authors of the new study point to some previous studies that show that ED can be used to predict future cases of cardiovascular disease.

We already know that healthy dieting is one of the most effective recommendations against cardiovascular disease, so the researchers wondered whether it worked for ED too. After all, it is difficult to motivate men to adopt a healthy diet to address some potential future heart disease, but if you tell them to do so to prevent or treat ED, they might just be motivated enough.

They obtained their data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which ran between 1998 and 2014. The subjects were 21,469 male health professionals who were between ages 40 and 75 in 1998 and who did not have ED, diabetes, or heart disease at the beginning of the study.

They were given food frequency questionnaires every four years to establish their food and nutrient intake. The authors of this study then used a Mediterranean diet score and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 score to rank them according to the health of their diets.

The subjects were also given questionnaires every four years to assess their levels of ED.

During the follow-up period, there were 968 ED cases among men younger than 60, 3,703 cases among men aged between 60 and 70, and 4,793 cases among men aged 70 and older.

For men younger than 60, those with the highest Mediterranean diet scores were 22% less likely to develop ED than men with the lowest Mediterranean diet scores.

For the men between ages 60 and 70, the highest Mediterranean diet score cut down their risk of ED by 18%, and for those over 70, by 7%.

The Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 also cut ED risk, especially for men below 60, where it reduced their risk by 22%.

These two diets are relatively similar.

The Mediterranean diet includes plenty of whole grains, legumes, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Its intake of red meat, poultry, dairy products, and eggs is relatively low, while refined grains are almost completely excluded.

The Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 rewards you for eating healthy foods, which it defines as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, fish, and polyunsaturated fats, while subtracting points for eating unhealthy foods, which it identifies as refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, red and processed meat, trans fat, and sodium.

But eating healthy is not going to be enough to completely cure ED if you already suffer from it. For that, you need to do these effortless home “exercises” for a few minutes…

Easiest Way to Tackle ED – Common Health Issue Causes ED (and how to prevent it)

Most often we look as ED as an isolated health issue. Or maybe connect it to cardiovascular or hormonal problems.

But a new study reveals a very common condition that almost doubles the risk of severe ED. Fortunately, treating this potential underlying cause of ED is relatively easy.

In the study published in The Journal of Rheumatology, 201 men who came to a rheumatology clinic were surveyed about their erection strength.

Of those, 83 (41%) suffered gout. This is a common arthritis-related disease, where the joints in the big toe become inflamed.

Significantly more men suffering gout reported erectile problems (76% with gout vs. 51% of non-gout patients). And the difference was even greater with severe erectile dysfunction (26% with gout vs. 15% of non-gout patients).

The connection between the two diseases is not quite clear, but what is clear is that if you suffer erectile dysfunction as well as gout, treating your gout will positively affect your erectile strength.

Fortunately, it’s quite easy to manage gout with simple diet and lifestyle changes. Since it’s closely related with rheumatoid arthritis, what works for one will work for the other.

Here is a step-by-step plan designed to reverse arthritis (and gout) in 28 days or less…

But if you suffer erectile dysfunction and want to look for the easiest way to tackle ED, this is by far the most effective natural method to get you back in the sack strong and powerful…

Easiest Way to Tackle ED – This Common Drink Cures ED in Men with High Blood Pressure

With prescriptions of ED medications being at peak levels (and also the number of men suffering deadly side effects), you may be happy to hear that a common, cheap drink can be just as effective.

Here’s the hint: 85% of Americans drink it every day! You should just drink more to tackle your ED.

Not sure?

A new study conducted at the University of Texas has investigated the effect of coffee consumption on erectile dysfunction (ED) among men with obesity, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

It was discovered that those who were overweight or obese, or suffered from high blood pressure, showed a reduction in symptoms of ED by drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day. Only those with type 2 diabetes did not show any significant improvement even after coffee consumption.

Since the effect is due to the main ingredient in coffee, namely caffeine, the researchers also measured the amount needed to reduce ED symptoms. Two to three cups of coffee were found to be equivalent to 170 to 375 milligrams of caffeine.

Researchers speculated that coffee’s positive effect on ED is due to caffeine’s ability to trigger a series of pharmacological effects inside the body. The result is the relaxation of arteries and smooth muscles in the penis, leading to improved blood flow and a stronger erection.

This shows that natural ingredients can deliver amazing benefits to erectile dysfunction without suffering the risks and side effects of prescription medications.

Are you looking for the easiest way to tackle ED? Watch this video – How to FIX erectile dysfunction for good! – Doctor Explains!

However, the most effective method I know to completely cure erectile dysfunction naturally, is a set of easy exercises, designed to drastically increase blood flow into the genital area. Learn more about these easy erectile dysfunction exercises here…

This post is from the Erectile Dysfunction Master Program, which was created by Christian Goodman for men who are looking for the best erectile dysfunction natural remedies.  This is an all-natural system that utilizes the power of exercises to permanently cure erectile dysfunction. By following the techniques in this program, you will be able to get hard fast without pills and maintain stronger erections for hours so you can enjoy sex again. 

Erectile problems can be physical or emotional. If your problem is physical, you need to exercise the muscles around the genital area. If your problem is emotional, then you need to learn relaxation techniques. Erection Master will teach you steps that can help get rid of your erectile dysfunction for good. As long as you’re willing to commit 30 minutes of your time, 3 to 7 days a week for 1 to 2 months, they’ll work for you. You can practice the steps alone or with your partner. 

These techniques are far more effective than Viagra, Cialis or other drugs for erectile dysfunction. The drugs only help about 40% of men who use them and can also cause very serious side effects. 

To find out more about this program, click on Easiest Way to Tackle ED

Revealing Here the 7 Science-Backed Ways to Be Happier

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

How to Be Happy: 7 Simple Steps

We all have days when we feel a little Grinch-like.

Something goes wrong, we’re late for work, there’s too much traffic, we receive disappointing news – the occasional bad mood makes you human, after all. But if you’ve found yourself in a relentless funk when pulling teeth is easier than forcing a smile, it may be time to make a few simple shifts in your lifestyle.

Now, these proven ways to increase your happiness aren’t only reserved for when you’re a grumpasaurus. These tips for a better mood are just as effective when you’re happy because they support your health on multiple levels. Besides, if you regularly incorporate these tips into your routine, you may never wake up in your Scrooge costume again.

Here are 7 science-backed ways to be happier.

1. Take a Break from Social Media

According to studies, staying off Facebook can make you happier.

Now, if you’ve already made that observation yourself, you’re probably not surprised.

But when asked to stay off Facebook for 1 week, participants in Denmark not only rated their level of life satisfaction higher, but also reported feeling less worried, lonely and stressed when compared to the control group who continued regular use with social media. Try staying off Facebook for 1 week. Chances are, you’ll feel less lonely and stressed. 

Researchers related the increased happiness to our tendencies to compare ourselves to others on social media.

So, the next time you’re feeling anxious or gloomy, try your best to unplug from social media and technology for the day. It can also help to disconnect from your phone and apps such as Instagram, which also promote comparison and distract you from being in the present moment.

If it’s not realistic to turn off your phone completely, try to avoid checking messages or voice mail until you’ve given yourself a chance to recharge. Which brings me to the next point…

2. Meditate

While meditation is found on almost every list of ways to improve happiness, science agrees it’s for good reason.

In a study done on “loving-kindness meditation” (LKM), participants who practiced this form of meditation for at least one hour each week for 7 weeks reported decreased feelings of depression and increased life satisfaction – in which the increased rate of positive feelings directly correlated with the number of hours spent in meditation.

But the study also showed that LKM meditation can help sustain feelings of positivity long after you’ve left the meditation cushion. Loving-kindness meditation can help boost your mood with feelings of positivity.

Loving-kindness is a meditation that requires you to focus your emotions and positive feelings towards a person for whom you already feel warmth, care and compassion. LKM asks you to extend the warm feelings to yourself first, and then to others during meditation.

And while it seems natural that the positive emotion evoked by this meditation would increase happiness, the study pointed out that meditation may be an effective tool for combating depression by improving long-term happiness by helping us “outpace” the hedonic treadmill.

The hedonic treadmill is a term used to describe the emotional set point we return to, despite encountering positive or negative events – for example, winning the lottery or becoming paraplegic. As quoted from the study: “The hedonic treadmill, as classically stated, implies that all efforts to improve happiness are doomed to failure”.

But the study’s findings suggest that meditation does, in fact, provide long-term feelings that last beyond the time spent in meditation practice, rather than a temporarily altered state of positivity.

Therefore, meditation can be effective not only for instantly improving your mood, but for preventing negative feelings in the future.

While this study was done on LKM, there are many forms of meditation you can try, such as Vipassana meditation or Mantra meditation. You may simply prefer to sit in a comfortable spot and focus on your breath for twenty minutes, uninterrupted.

Thanks to YouTube and free meditation apps, you can also experiment with different forms of meditation to see what works best for you. There are no shortage of guided meditations and playlists online that you can listen to for free.

3. Be Kind

A recent study shows that helping others is more effective for boosting our mood than helping ourselves.

During a 6-week experiment, the study observed the mood and well-being of those who did random acts of kindness for others compared to those who focused on doing kind things for themselves.

The findings showed a greater increase in happiness in those who performed acts of kindness to others or the world, while the test group who engaged in self-focused behavior reported no increase in positive feelings.

So, maybe there’s a gold nugget in the saying that goes “If you’re feeling helpless, help someone”.

4. Jam Out

Having a bad day? Blast the tunes.

Although we probably don’t need research to confirm this (because let’s be honest: who doesn’t feel better after spontaneously blaring Beyoncé), studies show that putting on upbeat music instantly lifts your spirits.

So, make sure you’ve got your happiness playlist ready to go for the next time you’re stuck in traffic or angry at your boss – or anytime you need to take a solid breather.

5. Get Sweaty

When you’re grumpy, it’s all too easy to choose a nap or Netflix over a treadmill. But exercise is one of the best ways to improve your mood at a cellular level, because it releases a flood of endorphins – your “feel good” chemicals. This is also why exercise is used as a key component in recovery programs for those suffering from depression and anxiety.

Now, tell me – have you ever regretted a satisfying, sweaty exercise session?… Didn’t think so.

Since getting motivated to go to the gym can be challenging when you’re in a bad mood (more so than the workout itself), it can help to have a personal mantra to repeat to yourself when you’re unmotivated. For example, my personal mantra for when I’m unmotivated has become JFDI, which stands for “just freaking do it”. And guess what – it works!

While staying home and cozying up to your favorite sweet instead may provide instant gratification, it’s much more sustainable to promote your happiness with exercise. While exercise also provides instant feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction, it also supports your health on several fundamental levels.

6. Be Grateful

While gratitude has almost become a “buzzword”, there’s a reason why appreciating what you have is largely focused on by many spiritual teachers and anyone wishing to improve their mental health.

Studies have also observed an increase in motivation, optimism and a reduction in physical symptoms in those who keep a gratitude journal. Whether you prefer to write down what you’re grateful for or reflect without a pen and paper, simply focusing your attention on what you appreciate can be an instant mood booster. But the trick is to feel grateful, as opposed to just thinking about what you’re thankful for.

Sometimes when we’re grumpy, it’s easy to be in a state of resistance and initially avoid activities that will generate positive feelings. But by focusing your attention on finding just one thing you appreciate (which could be something as simple as having all of your fingers and toes), you’ll often find the list keeps growing. Try a gratitude journal to help you focus on the things that make you happy.

As you continue to focus on what’s going right in your life, just try to stay in a bad mood – I dare you!

It can also help to keep a log of the good things you’ve attracted into your life (as you encounter them). This way, when you’re in a bad mood, you can see proof of the good situations that have come into your existence, which can help reassure you that things always improve and get better.

7. Indulge in Nutritious Foods

Treating yourself to a delicious, nutrient-dense meal is one way to squash a bad mood. Not only will you feel good eating a meal that’s in line with your health goals, but you’ll support your mood on a nutritional level.

You see, specific nutrients have been linked to mood regulation, such as omega-3 essential fatty acids and vitamin D. And as a precursor to serotonin (your feel-good neurotransmitter), l-tryptophan is another nutrient to include in your diet if you’ve been feeling low.

Therefore, you may also want to regularly include foods in your diet that contain one or more of these mood-boosting nutrients in your diet: wild salmon, green tea, egg yolks, grass-fed beef, spirulina, and bananas.

As you can see, there are several proven ways to increase your happiness when you’ve been sprinkled by the bad mood dust. And best of all, they can be conveniently practiced anytime, anywhere, to quickly restore you back to contentment.

Watch this video – How to Be Happy Every Day: It Will Change the World | Jacqueline Way | TEDxStanleyPark

Written by Brandi Black

Author Bio:

Brandi Black is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and the creator of Feel Best Naked, a health blog for women who want to clear up their skin, lose the muffin top and make the bloat disappear. After years of experiencing (and then healing) her own unbalanced hormones, she’s now obsessed with helping other women feel spectacular in their own skin with natural remedies for hormone balance.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook