Introduction
There's music for every mood. It is a form of expression that crosses all boundaries of communication, cultures, ages and is just as appealing to the common man as much as it is to the upper classes as well.
Whether it was Michael Jackson (RIP!) who broke through to an enthralled audience in Russia when the Cold War ended or Frank Zappa who became an icon for the Czechoslovakia, music plays a very important in bringing people together.
War and politics, on the other hand, is a different story… but I digress!
Music plays a great role in exercise as well, and has been in use for both weight lifting as well as cardio workouts. For most folks who pump iron, rock seems to be the popular choice (at least for me, it does!) while dance music seems to work for those who are into the cardio form of exercise.
But before that, let's look at what cardio exercise is all about (perhaps, just a reminder!).
Cardiovascular Exercise
When one refers to cardiovascular exercise, it merely means that oxygen is required to perform the exercise that normally require one to use their lungs to full capacity, so as to obtain enough energy for activities that are of a longer duration than weight lifting exercise which require short bursts of energy.
Some of these activities include using treadmill, stationary cycle, stair climbing, indoor rower and the stair master if you are working out indoors. When it comes to performing cardiovascular exercise outdoors, some of the activities include jogging, cycling, inline skating, cross country skiing and even nordic walking as well among a plethora of outdoor activities that require you to be active for long periods of time.
Most of these activities whether indoors or outdoors are performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time.
And if you didn't know whether music was used for cardio exercise, the 80s had people setting off on a jog with their walkmans until now, where the iPod has become the preferred choice.
But does it work? And where can I find cardio workouts videos?
If you look at various music videos that have been sold while having a fitness expert completing each part of his/ her routine, you would notice that the tempo of the music used varies, and is moderated according to the type of exercise that is being demonstrated.
And one can either find these cardio workouts in either the form of audio or video over the internet in the form of videos on Youtube that are uploaded by fitness experts. However, if you are in the United States where the issue of copyright looms large since the Napster incident involving Metallica one should be careful of accessing mp3s or videos through torrents or P2P sites even though they are available in abundance.
Amazon also offers some amazing cardio videos amongst a plethora of other sites, and if one is interested, they can even get some of these videos at discounts as well while also getting detailed accounts of how good the users who have already bought them, think they really are.
In Closing
Music works as a real booster for those who would like to perform cardiovascular workouts regularly. You'll want to workout once you hear the music, even if you aren't in the mood! Try it, and you'll see!
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