Studies suggest that music helps us get the most from exercise - but the fast-paced dance tunes favoured by gyms up and down the country isn’t necessarily the best.
Instead, classical music may produce better results. The advice comes from neuroscientist Jack Lewis who scoured reports of research in the field to come up with a list of musically-themed advice for those who are trying to get fit.
‘Classical music is extremely interesting. It has obviously been around for a lot longer than all the other genres, consequently hundreds of brilliant composers have experimented with all sorts of different moods they can create in the mind of the listener.
‘Within that large corpus it is possible to have high tempo tunes that have the same tempo as dance music, yet complex harmonies and a much more sophisticated structure.’
Dr Lewis also recommends matching music with heartbeat - with faster beats better as a session gets harder.
A faster beat is not only more motivating, it also ‘instructs’ the brain to energise the body. Dr Lewis suggests Michael Jackson’s Rock with You for a heart rate of 116 beats per minute - the sort of rate typically seen when warming up.
Other tips from Dr Lewis, who was commissioned by music streaming website rara.com, include listening to music before exercise, as well as during, and choosing tunes that have sentimental value.
He said: ‘Try to choose songs that mean something to you personally - ones that remind you of something motivational or inspiring.
‘Research shows that the premotor cortex, an area of the brain involved in the planning of movement, is stimulated when subjects have been played music that is beautiful to the ear.
‘Tracks we are not so keen on are less effective in stimulating this region.’