Do you workout with music?

by Nicole Weston (Subscribe to Nicole Weston's posts)
Aug 24th 2006 6:01PM

Categories: Fitness

Take a look around any gym and at least 9 out of 10 people will have headphones on, either listening to the news/soap operas/sports that the gym TV is tuned into or playing music from an mp3 or CD player. In the gym, the desire to listen to something other than the strangers around you panting for breath is understandable, but do you listen to music outside of the gym as well?

Personally, I have mixed feelings about it. I like background noise, so if I can play music in the area that I am in, I enjoy it. Sometimes I find it to be distracting to have music playing right in my ear, where I can't really tune it out, though. Music is helpful with motivation and consistency when the beat matches your own rhythm, but it can really throw you off your stride when it doesn't.

What do you think? Do you workout with music?

Comments (5)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Rob G. 8-24-2006 @ 6:35PM

I tend to run a faster pace when I'm listening to music, but, when it boils down, come marathon time, I won't be using my ipod - so I've been doing most of my training wihtout it. I think for people just starting out excersizing, or like you said working out in a gym, it's probably helpful. But, there's nothing like running in the country at 6 a.m. listening to nature. I find it also helpful without music to be able to listen to my breathing as I run.

The Zero Boss 8-24-2006 @ 7:36PM

Nope. Can't listen to music when I run. It takes my focus off of my running, and makes me go faster than my body will allow, meaning I exhaust too easily. When I don't have a musical accompaniment, I can be much more controlled about it.

JT 8-25-2006 @ 4:25AM

Being a beginner at running, I have to say that music is a must. By carefully selecting my playlist, and identifying the songs that work for me and those that don't, I can motivate myself in a way that wouldn't have happened without the iPod.
I recently got the nike+ipod kit and it is also a great motivator, with goals, etc.
Maybe when i'll be able to run more than a couple of miles, I'll change my habits, but for now, I couldn't do without - I would stop after 2 minutes.

Rob 8-25-2006 @ 12:08PM

I used to listen to music when working out/exercising, but now I'm a huge fan of audio-books. Especially when your workout is less than fun, the audio-books are a great distraction and you're done before you know it!

meshcount 8-25-2006 @ 3:38PM

I tried for a while... didn't really like it. This was back before MP3 players and I was listening to the radio. I'd be doing well but find myself slow to near walking speeds when a Billy Ocean song came on. Same with audio books. When the plot thickens, I'm no longer quick(ens).

Though I'm really tempted just because of the iPod/Nike dongle... but one of the incentives to moving faster is to get away from people having dumb conversations around the lake.