A lot of people have made it their New Year’s resolution to get into shape, and music may just be the key to help them stick to their goals. Results of a new study commissioned by Spotify reveals that over 60 percent of runners are helped by music to run faster and longer – seemingly better than a workout buddy, trainer, good weather, or the latest workout gear.
The study, which was conducted among 1,500 respondents from the US and UK, reported that over 75 percent of runners rely on music for their workouts, with 88 percent of those runners reporting that music is important or vital to their run. Other key findings in the study include:
Music helps runners stay distracted (47 percent) and keep a steady pace (39 percent)
Almost half (45 percent) of runners report that a great soundtrack is the best way to get through the troublesome “runner’s low”
Music is cited as the top training tool for races of all lengths – from a 5K run to a marathon
Apparently, music does a lot in helping people pound the pavement, with high intensity exercises such as running going well with music that have faster beats and tempo. Significantly, Spotify Running’s app has a sensor that calculates the runner’s pace, which then serves up a non-stop mix of tracks that match one’s tempo and musical taste. Since its launch in May last year, Spotify Running users have listened to over five million hours of music and covered over 34.5 million miles, which is like running around the world 1,386 times.
According to Spotify, the world’s most-streamed running songs of 2015 are “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyonce leading the pack, followed closely by “Chandelier” by Sia and “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson. In fact, seven of the 10 top tracks come from female artists, ranging from current chart toppers to Missy Elliott and TLC. Runners may also want to check out Spotify Running Originals from Tiêsto, Ellie Goulding and Oliver Heldens as these exclusive tracks are designed specifically for running and can be adjusted to match a runner’s tempo and speed.
For more on Spotify, check out www.spotify.com.