Thursday, November 11, 2010
Katie Hayes, Pittsburg freshman, runs down the hill behind the Campanile on Tuesday morning. Hayes said she preferred listening to faster paced music, either hip-hop or pop, while working out instead of silence, though she doesn't listen to this music outside of exercising. "I like listening to music while working out because it blocks out my breathing," Hayes stated.
Jessie Riedel swings her leg over a stationary bike at the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center, sits down and pulls her black iPod out of her pocket. She sticks her ear buds in place and presses the play button. Charles Kelley’s voice rings into her ears as Lady Antebellum’s “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” begins, and her legs start pedaling.
Liz Stephens, a group fitness instructor at the recreation center, said listening to music could help people benefit from their workouts. However, how beneficial the music is could depend on the type of exercise someone is doing.
Riedel, who is a junior from Holyrood, said her choice of music could range anywhere from rap to country.
“If I am on a Stairmaster, it’s more of a fast tempo, because I have to go faster,” Riedel said. “On the bike, it’s more country.”
Laura Webb, a personal trainer at the recreation center, agreed that some genres are better suited for specific exercises.
Webb said if people are doing a cool-down for a yoga class, it is more beneficial for them to turn on slower, softer music so their bodies can relax. However, she said with aerobic exercises, such as running or spinning, fast-paced music with more beats per minute is going to be more motivating.
While Stephens said music could be beneficial, she said other distractions, such as watching television, might take away from an individual’s workout.
“I know from experience when people watch television, they probably aren’t getting an effective workout, because it’s harder for them to pay attention to how their body feels,” Stephens said.
However, if people can’t fathom missing out on the latest episode of their favorite sitcom, Webb said it is important for them to check in with themselves about halfway through the workout to ask questions such as, “Is my face red?” or “Am I sweaty?”
“If people have found that they aren’t working out as hard, maybe they should go watch their show for 30 minutes and then hop on a bike and actually get an effective workout,” Webb said.
Stephens said studying while working out could also hinder a person’s workout. She said if students are studying and exercising at the same time, they are really just studying and moving at the same time — they really aren’t working out.
“If you were really pushing yourself as hard as you need to, you wouldn’t be able to focus on your homework,” Stephens said.
If people don’t want to listen to music while they’re toning and trimming their bodies, Webb said working out in silence could be just as beneficial.
“If that’s how you focus, and if music is more distracting than helpful for you, that’s fine,” Webb said. “There’s really no right or wrong.”
— Edited by Daivd Cawthon
Rec center adds new programs for fall
Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center will introduce group training and three new ...
Keep your body guessing with TRX training
A new type of fitness offers students a new way to work ...
Exercising care while pursuing perfection
Experts dispel myths, dispense advice on achieving a healthy workout.
Exercise your way to better grades
Cardiovascular exercise - like running - can help build a better memory.
Recreation center offers trial cycling classes
KU Fit’s three cycling classes officially begin on Valentine’s Day.
Cycling classes bring noise complaints
Without a room of its own, loud music and voices of instructors ...
Lighter weights may help lifters bulk up
Despite evidence in a recent Canadian study, trainers at the Recreation Center ...
Rhythm, running and rest help students avoid ...
Take action to manage the pressures that come with the end of ...
Students find time to work out
Making exercise priority while managing school.
20 more minutes a day
Recent study says weight loss requires more exercise than originally thought.
Boot camp returns for another session
Sign-ups for the recreation center program end today.
Fitness options abound for the summer
Anyone looking to get or stay fit during the summer have plenty ...
Cancer prevention 101
A new study shows developing positive habits in college may lead to ...
Doing Without: Music
Absence makes the heart grow . . . ?
Televisions at recreation center a waste of ...
The Winter Blues
Running away from Seasonal Affective Disorder
Nintendo Wii: Does it have health benefits?
One-on-one fitness
Weight loss speech inspires students
Ben Davis loss 120 pounds in recovery.
How to Train for Your First 5K
Becoming a runner isn't as impossible as you think...
Informal treatment may help tune out stress
Students can use music therapy methods to help with everyday problems.
30 Minutes to Fit
Fitness classes’ turnout increases
Turbo Kick and other exercises help students get in better shape thanks ...
DIY: Dorm room workout
And you thought fire was against the rules
Exercisers browse wellness fair
A wellness fair Tuesday at the Ambler Student Recreation Center offered students ...
Kicker nears records
Jayhawks kicker Scott Webb has scored 71 points this season. His career ...
Good for you/bad for you
Sometimes it’s hard to tell.
The abdominal dilemma
Is your ab workout helping or hurting your body?
Experts criticize diet pills searching for FDA ...
Exercising in the new year
The five-year study focuses on weight loss in obese individuals who have ...
Kansan Departments
Your guide to surviving the week.
Malicious Intimacy
Four students' experiences with domestic violence.
Serial Shoppers
The highs and lows of compulsive consumption
Student Recreation Center experiences upgrades, repairs
Warming weather intensifies outside workouts
The right clothing, the right food and lots of liquids are key ...
Concert aims to promote diversity, peace
The ‘One World, One Family’ concert, sponsored by the University’s Art of ...
Students can work up a sweat at ...
New additions to the center include four multipurpose courts, a martial arts ...
Better Options for Bad Situations: Working Out ...
If you're going to do it, be smart.
Save the planet, save money — get ...
Students around in the summer are taking to cycling around campus. Here's ...
Good For You, Bad For You: Working ...
Sometimes it's hard to tell.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID