Listen to the music

How many of you out there have asked the question, “Should I listen to music while I run?”. That question has brought about many discussions from runners all around the world. Let’s talk about some reasons why people listen to music when they run or work out.

WHY TO:

Some reasons why people listen to music when they run is so that they don’t have to think about the pain that their body goes through during their run or their workout. According to some studies, listening to music helps train faster and longer. For example, for short speed distances you would listen to a song that has a faster beat then say if you were doing a long run. As technology has advanced it has also made it easier to listen to music. With the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music GPS Running Watch, and the wireless Bluetooth headphones they have made it more convent to listen on the go.

WHY NOT TO:

I know it’s fun to run to your favorite songs during you’re training, but should we? As a society we have become very distracted by our mobile devices that we tend to forget about our surroundings. For instance, you might be jamming away to the latest Taylor Swift or some old school 2Pac song when you come a cross an animal with rabies or a car that had to swerve and is coming right at you. This is important if you are running in a city where there are much more obstacles like cars and other pedestrians to watch out for. These are some things you must consider. Another thing you must consider is it takes you away from the beauty of nature. It is a wonderful way to feel at one with your surroundings. Sometimes the music can control your pace but not in a good way.

As you can see there are many reasons to listen and not to listen to music while you go for your run. I think a balance of both is good. Some days you need to get focused on your run and that’s when your music will help you get zoned in on your goals. On the other hand, it is important to step back and enjoy your surroundings, take in nature and control the pace yourself.