We’ve all felt the enhancing effect singing, listening, or creating music has on our
mood. It can lift us up in moments of pain, inspire us before going into an
important job interview, and can help us relax in moments of anxiety. Music has
been scientifically proven time and time again to calm the nervous system, our
psychological stress responses, and our endocrine system. But did you know
music also enhances our everyday physical performance?
Listening to motivating tunes before, during, or even after sports and activities
can contribute to a large increase in motivation, skill learning, and performance.
In this article I am going to be sharing with you some healthy positive research
pieces about the beautiful relationship between our physical performance and
playing music.
Music promotes healthy mind states for internal motivation
“Being in the zone” or “In the flow” is often described as an altered mental state
of awareness during activity. Even though it is a feeling of energized focus it
seems the mind and body function on “auto-pilot” with very little conscious effort.
Many athletes from all different sports, musicians, and performers use music to
clear their mind and gain this “In the zone” focus. Music has also been described
to aid with their mental imagery during the routine part of their training activity.
The power of listening to or creating music can bring forth a high level of
concentration and focus before a game, competition, or performance as well.
Music enables them to put aside all other distractions in order to concentrate and
envision what they want to accomplish.
Music triggers positive emotions that enrich your enjoyment
Scientific studies have also linked learning music with positive feelings and our
memories. Music can boost motivation by triggering good emotions, this helps
you experience much greater pleasure from the activity. This is magnified when a
certain tune reminds you of a moment of your life that is emotionally significant.
Why does it matter? Researchers believe that these factors have power in the
long run to increase your performance and results if a person is following a
workout program. This is crucial for unconditioned individuals and for those who
are in a rehabilitation program that involves exercise, such as physiotherapy, a
heart condition, and the treatment of chronic pain. So music can be intentionally
added as part of any training program to bring forth a more positive experience.
Synchronized music movements can shift your level of workout
Have you ever had that experience where listening to an upbeat, fast song
moved you along at a pace which enhanced the activity you were engaged in?
Or were you ever listening to a slow melodic song that brought you a graceful
focused pace?
Synchronizing the music we listen to or create with repetitive activities or
exercise is linked to increased levels of work output. Research shows the aspect
of rhythm as an important piece in skill and performance. For example, music
can balance and adjust movement, thus prolonging performance on the field or
on stage!
Dissociation through the playing or listening to music diverts our mind
We experience dissociation when we divert our mind from sensations of fatigue,
anxiety, or nervousness that creep up during performance. Studies have shown
how music can improve performance by drawing our attention away from feelings
of tiredness and pain when engaged in activities such as stage performing,
singing, running, cycling, or even swimming. In fact, scientists have
demonstrated that music can improve our endurance by 15%.
It’s been shown that creating, listening to music, or playing an instrument greatly
increases the efficiency of other activities and it postpones fatigue. This
especially holds true if there is a synchrony between the rhythm of the music and
the movements of the person themselves.
As you can see, listening to and singing your favorite tunes can definitely
improve your enjoyment of activities, enhance and improve your performance,
and it can certainly affect your mood by eliciting a certain emotional response
whilst listening to a meaningful song. How have you been influenced or affected
through music? Do you find it an essential piece to performance and
competition? If you have been influenced or affected by music in a positive way
please join in on the conversation below in the comments! We’d love to hear
about your experience, as it may shed some light for someone else.
At Elite Music Academy we provide lessons covering an extensive list of
instruments. With all the useful benefits playing brings, why not try an instrument
class out? After your first lesson come back and let us know how it worked out
for you! And please share this with someone who might enjoy discovering the
remarkable effects of music!
