Regular physical activity is essential to prevent and help manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer, as well as to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, slow cognitive decline, improve memory, and boost brain health. But let’s not kid ourselves, the main goal of most of those who decide to join the gym or go for a run is to lose weight.
Finding at all costs the sport that burns the most calories is the priority of those who want to lose weight and see in numbers what will later supposedly translate into a loss of body fat. It must be taken into account that the caloric expenditure for a sporting activity depends on many factors such as metabolism, physical complexion or the intensity with which it is carried out.
But What if they told you that music can help you lose weight faster and that a Shakira song is one of the most effective to achieve your goal? Well, a scientific study proves it.
Higher performance
According to a research from the University of South Queensland in Australia, listening to music while you train helps in more ways than one. Through their review of nearly 140 studies on the effects of music on exercise, the researchers found that listening to music during physical activity affects performance, oxygen use, and even how enjoyable a workout is.
Also, a study published by ‘The Journal of the Academy Marketing Science’ analyzed the relationship between music and the food we eat. There are songs that influence what we eat. A slow and low song invites you to eat healthy foods, while if it is fast and moving, the food choice will be much worse. The reason? In fast food places there is always more agitated music, which makes the brain associate both situations.
But he also certified that Music also influences the exercise we carry out. According to Brunel University in London, the more ‘beats’ a song has, the better it will be for cardiovascular exercises. For example, they recommended tracks around 120 BPM for an aerobic warm-up, 110-128 for strength exercises, and 160 for cardiovascular training.
Shakira’s effectiveness
To demonstrate the positive influence of music on training and weight loss, they carried out an experiment with 24 volunteers between the ages of 25 and 65 who were divided into groups: some were asked to complete 10,000 steps with a pedometer and others were asked to walk for 30 minutes. listening to a specific playlist. The result? “Those who walked briskly to music saw slightly greater improvements than those who simply walked,” they explain. “They decreased their body fat by 2.4%.” While those who walked without music did so by 1.3%. They also showed that those who listened to faster songs increased fat burning over those who opted for softer songs.
But what music should you listen to? Science is clear: Abba’s Dancing Queen or Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie are the most effective.
With all this data, what are you waiting for to put on your headphones and enjoy your training?