By Daniel Thomas, joint managing director of Chroma Therapies
With its ability to produce new neural pathways, Neurologic Music Therapy is able to encourage movement, co-ordination, improve speech and language, and improve the ability to read/feel emotions, reactions and more, in people living with catastrophic injuries.
This is because music automatically connects to the brain. And this automaticity is what makes music so powerful.
Music also has to ability to push your training capabilities farther and faster especially in running.
This is why a running playlist is the ideal accompaniment to any runner.
Each songs tempo stimulates the brain, evoking a running response of either a faster pace or a steady rhythm depending on what you want to achieve.
For a faster pace, a good running playlist should contain songs with 150-180bpm.
Unfortunately, with not many songs out there using that speed (unless you enjoy rock, metal or speed garage for running) than the other option is to choose songs with 75-90bpm, as this tempo is perfect for a steady rhythm and maximising efficiency.
Do you recall an earlier blog where we discussed cadence and stride length using NMT for preventing falls in the elderly?
We suggested music with a high bpm count promotes movement, good cadence and walking speed, so songs like Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These Boots are Made for Walkin’, which has 85 bpm, is ideal.
BPM strongly correlates to step cadence.
Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) is an important aspect of NMT.
Predictable rhythmic structure allows the sensori-motor system to move in sync with the beat.
This is, in essence, why music is important to runners, as it has the ability to communicate with the brain in order to help maintain a steady pace or increase speed depending on the bpm.
When it comes to mental wellbeing, we will always discuss music’s ability to improve mental wellbeing, and its effect can also be attributed to runners.
Music’s ability to improve stride, cadence and style, to produce better and better runs, and enable runners to achieve personal goals also have a positive effect upon mental wellbeing.
A sense of accomplishment. And with the right playlist, runners can end each run on a high.
We also like to discuss how NMT is more effective when it is personalised to that individual.
The same can be said in the case of a runner. A playlist that includes, not only songs with the ideal tempo for them, but also have some personal meaning, have the greatest positive effect upon runners.
The more enjoyable the run, the less fatigue is experienced. This may be due to the fact that music is able to interfere with the parts of the brain that communicate fatigue, essentially causing a distraction, so less fatigue is experienced.
For runners, the relationship between music and running can be seen to be just as effective and important as the relationship between music and recovering from a brain injury.
Its ability to improve running capability, speed, motivation, and promote mental wellbeing is what makes the difference between a run just being a run and reaching ‘Flow State’ – the mental state where the runner is in the moment of running – no distractions, and the run becomes…euphoric.
