We all have go-to workout songs — ones you can always count on to help you get the darn thing done, no matter how unmotivated you are to exercise or how hard your workout gets. What is it about the connection between music and exercise? Is it just a way to distract us from the task at hand and make working out more bearable? Or does a song's tempo have a way of improving our physical performance? In this episode, we explore the effect music has on the brain and whether what we listen to can make for a more effective workout.

Hosts: Zach Moore (interviewer), Katie McCallum

Expert: Maegan Morrow, Senior Music Therapist

Notable topics covered:

•  How the brain senses and responds to music 
• Beats per minute: How both heart rate and musical tempo are measured 
• Why synchronizing your heart rate to a song's tempo makes for effective exercise 
• How Maegan uses these principles to help rehabilitate brain injury patients in the ICU 
• Whether the volume of what you listen to matters during a workout 
• Tips for building the perfect workout playlist 
• Ways to determine the beats per minute of your favorite songs 
• Running vs. weightlifting vs. HIIT: Do you need different playlists for different types of exercise? 
• Why your workout playlists need more than high tempo songs 
• TV shows, audiobooks, podcasts: Does it matter if you don't listen to music?

Links:

• On Health with Houston Methodist Workout Playlist

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