I love listening to music when I exercise if I am by myself.  I also really enjoy chatting with a buddy when riding a bike or going on a run.  I am not a fan, however, of exercising in silence.  I have mentioned previously that inside my brain is a scary, panicky, and anxiety-laden mess that requires various tricks of the mental health trade to keep it at bay.  I talked about 3 tactics to build mental strength in a previous episode of the BOOST Health Podcast and Blog.I have been using my new mental strength tactics with good success but I also continue listening to music while exercising as I feel it helps further assist in keeping my mind out of a negative place.  I also just really enjoy getting in a rhythm with music on a run or bike ride.  There is something very satisfying about finding a song that matches your running or cycling cadence.   I love hearing the bass and snare drums hitting just as my foot meets the ground or pushes a pedal. Running is especially important for me to have good music.  Maybe it is because it hurts a lot and I want to take my mind off the pain.  If I have a good song in my ear it can make a huge difference in how I feel and perform.  I was thinking about how important my music is for happiness and performance when my headphones lost their charge recently.  It was almost devastating!  Ok I admit, I was full on devastated.  I always listen to music when strength training and when running and cycling alone.  I keep it at low volume so it is not dangerous as I can easily hear cars or even people talking as I pass by them.  From a cycling perspective, some purists would say this goes against “the rules” including #61 by Velominati.  For years race directors, most likely from an insurance perspective, have been outlawing music and headphones.  In 2006 the USA Track and Field organization banned use of headphones in their sanctioned events.  This is just for running events!  In 2008 they amended the rule to only include “those competing in Championships for awards, medals, or prize money”.  Again this probably has more to do with insurance than actual safety risk.  Just a couple weeks ago a buddy of mine got disqualified from a duathlon (run, bike, run) race for wearing headphones.  He was kindly notified after he completed the race…ouch!  We could argue about whether or not it is a safety risk based on numerous variables.  Pushing safety concerns aside, what about claims that music can be a performance enhancer?  Can music actually help us perform better in sport and in life in general?  The answer is resoundingly yes!  I am about to share 7 Ways music enhances your performance and health.1. Music Increases Exercise PerformanceA 2012 study in the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology by Karageorghis and Priest, included a major review and synthesis of music and effects on exercise.  They found that music can be used successfully before exercise as a motivational tool to get started.  They also saw some trends in listening to music during the exercise t...