Study: How your music helps you in the gym

According to a new study, selecting your own music may increase your performance in the gym.

Whether you listen to the gym’s in house DJ or you’ve downloaded the latest ‘jogging compilation’ on iTunes, most of us like to have some tunes in our ears while working out. Now, a new study has suggested that picking your own music, by yourself - without mammy, may help you when you really need it.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association conducted the study, which looked at 20 different males and how they preformed during exercise when listing to music that they selected themselves. The study also focused on the men’s performance when listing to nothing at all.

The results found that listing to your own selected music increases performance during explosive exercise and also induces a better mood state. The researchers concluded that listening to self-selected music is beneficial for acute power performance.

Working out to music helps you to block out the pain of the exercise and by listening to music that you specifically like, you're essentially distracting yourself into pushing to your max without feeling fatigue.

If you’re finding it hard to make a good gym set-list then think back to a time when a song got your heart going. Try to remember songs that you would associate with winning.

One thing to always remember is never work out with excessively loud headphones. Make sure to keep it low enough so if someone shouted at you, you would hear them.