The Health Benefits of Music - Cardio, BPM and the Right Soundtrack

Admittedly, my inclination is to be a couch potato. For the past six years I would leave for work at 7:00 am, get home at 7:00 pm, eat a meal and be parked in front of the tube by 8:00pm. Breaking a sweat was task-oriented: pushing a lawn mower for an hour or an afternoon of yard work during the weekend.

 
After spending some time in the hospital last year (leaving my stomach looking like Frankenstein’s head), I resolved to make an effort to get some regular “cardio” activity. Walking seemed like a good idea. I figured a solid hour could be worked into my day.
 
I knew from my days in the background music business that the right tempo in health clubs added to more effective and enjoyable workouts. Three miles per hour is a good walking pace. Music at 115 beats per minute will help you achieve that.
 
 I have a pretty good music collection, (heavy on the Beatles, Stones, Dylan, and sundry other “classic rock” nuggets) so I began to identify the songs that were paced in the neighborhood of 115 BPM. Do some Google-ing and you’ll find a few guys who have compiled large databases of songs, software you can use and some sports-related suggestions. Of course you can figure out the tempo the old fashioned way: count the beats for fifteen seconds and multiply by four.
 
Many BIG HITS, DANCE HITS, and early RAP HITS fall into this category. The tempo and stride are natural to our bio-rhythms and savvy producers arrange the recordings within those guidelines. Check out tracks like “Billie Jean” and “Rock With You”, Boz Scaggs’ “Lowdown”, Queen’s “Under Pressure” and “Radio Gaga”, Santana’s “Smooth”, The Crystals’ “He’s A Rebel” (for you old-timers), The Emotions’ “Best Of My Love”…you get the picture?
 
Armed with my trusty iPod shuffling a couple hundred songs paced from 112- 122 beats per minute, I can get a good workout, keep myself entertained and stay on pace. It works best if you can keep moving…I like the wide open spaces of the Valley Forge National Park with plenty of walking paths.
 
I guarantee your exercise will be more effective and enjoyable. Feel free to contact me if you would like a more comprehensive list of tunes.
 
Dave Gullo
Operations Manager
Hi-Fi Sales
dgullo@hifisales.com
 
 
 

 

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