There is little that fuels a great flow practice more than a killer playlist that inspires you to move. And for good reason. Listening to your favorite tunes during a workout has been shown to improve performance, endurance, enjoyment, and more.
You can moderate your intensity if you choose songs that match the pace of the BPM to your workout, using faster songs for higher intensity workout, or selecting songs that have a slower pace for a practice with a lower intensity.
Strategically chosen music can also help you manage pain, give you more energy to train longer, change your mood and even help you perform better physically. This works by exciting the brain and inducing you to feel like moving. When the musical sound waves hit our brains, it triggers an instant release of dopamine, a chemical connected to reward centers that makes us feel happy. Researchers also discovered something interesting. Not only are we rewarded with dopamine during the peak of the music, but we are also rewarded with dopamine as we anticipate the best parts of the song.
So next time you are feeling less motivated to train, play your favorite upbeat songs and feed your brain and your body with feel-good vibes that spill over into a better workout experience.
To energize your next practice we gathered a few of our favorite songs from some of our Master Instructors. Inspired by the endless days of summer these songs are great for a walk, a hike, or a full-on flow practice.
For more great music, follow the Animal Flow Spotify account, where you can stay tuned for more amazing Flowist playlists from our global community.