Evidence suggests that exercise causes positive changes in the nervous system in human beings and these changes may have a direct impact on the cognitive ability. Listening to music too, like exercise, may influence cognitive functions to different pathways in the brain.
The combination of exercise and music can, therefore; be an ideal intervention for ruminating and increasing cognitive arousal, while facilitating to organize cognitive output.
A recent study conducted by Charles Emery, a psychologist in the Ohio State University(U.S.A) with 33 volunteers(both men and women), who were taken part in a cardiac rehabilitation programme after having bypass surgery, angioplasty or other procedures to treat clogged arteries, seems to endorse such views.
The volunteers felt better emotionally and mentally after working out with or without the music. But their improvement on the verbal fluency test doubled after listening to music on the treadmills.
The musical choice of Vivaldi was based on its moderate tempo and positive effects on medical patients in previous research.
Similar exercises were conducted on 14 volunteers (men and women in the age group of 42 to 61) at Visakhapatnam. Instead of a western piece, Indian music was tried. The choice was a Carnatic ‘wake-up’ Raga, Bhupalam, which cheers up the depressed. The music was played to a tempo akin to a senior’s normal walking pace for 20 minutes.
It was discovered that the seniors enjoyed the treadmill more than ever and most of them, who were habituated to see their watches during treadmill, totally forgot to do so, as they were absorbed in the rhythms. Some of them reported that they never even felt tired, which creeps in when one does a treadmill without any music.
The other ragas recommended by this author — of course by lacing with appropriate tempo and beats – are: ahir bhairavi, dwijavanthi (jayawanti), hamsadhwani, hindolam, jagan mohini, kadanakuthoohalam, kharaharapriya, khamas, kuntalavarali, latangi, mohanakalyani, nagaswarali, nata, sankarabharanam, shanmugapriya and suddha dhanyasi.
I am sure for the “not-so-enthusiasts of exercise”, such music will work as a stimulant companion.
This article was published in Bhavan’s Journal – Pages 97, 98
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, Mar 4, 2021