Music helps us exercise—but why does it have this effect (影响)? Experts say there are two main reasons. The first is simple: Music distracts us. When we listen to a song we like, our brain pays attention to the music. For example, after we exercise for 20 minutes, our body might be tired. But we may not feel this immediately because we are listening to music. So we exercise a little longer.
. When we hear dance music, for example, we naturally start to move to the beat. An upbeat song also puts us in a good mood, so we feel happier. This gives us energy and helps us exercise longer. Music with a quick and steady beat is good for exercising. But the music shouldn’t be too fast, says sports psychologist Dr. Costa Karageorghis. Generally, songs in the range (范围) of 120-140 beats per minute (BPM) are the best.
A new study by cognitive scientist Tom Fritz suggests this is only part of the explanation, however. In an experiment, Fritz put 61 people in small groups. They all then exercised twice. One time, each group worked out while listening to music for six minutes. Another time, they exercised for six minutes on special Jymmin machines. The name Jymmin is a combination of “jammin” and “gym”. Using these machines, each group made music as they moved. At the end, 53 of the 61 people said the same thing: They felt less tired when they exercised on the Jymmin machines. When we exercise and make music-especially with other people working out seems to be easier.
How does Fritz explain this? Maybe people did better on the Jymmin machines because they had more control, he says. People created the beat. They could make it go faster or slower. Also, the activity was social. Each group was making music together and having fun. Fritz believes that Jymmin exercise may have other advantages (优势), too. He wants to find out if it can help with more serious conditions. For example, it may even be a good way to treat depression (抑郁).
【小题1】In Paragraph 1, the underlined word “distract” means to ________.| A．bring our attention back | B．make us stronger |
| C．take our attention away | D．make us tired |
| A．Music also motivates (激励) us | B．Any kind of music helps |
| C．The faster music, the better | D．Sports psychologists disagree |
| A．A tool for listening to music while dancing. |
| B．A machine for watching music videos while exercising. |
| C．A group to make music and have fun while exercising. |
| D．An exercise machine for creating music while working out. |
| A．Advantages of music while working out. |
| B．A music playlist for workout songs. |
| C．Give instructions on using Jymmin machines. |
| D．Reasons why music helps people exercise longer. |
