Raga for the Gym!

By T V Sairam

Evidence suggests that exercise seems to cause posditive changes in the nervous system and these changes may have a direct impact on cognitive ability. Listening to music too, like exercise, may influence cognitive functions through different pathways in the brain.

The combination of exercise and music can therefore be an ideal intervention for stimulating and increasing cognitive arousal, while facilitating to organize cognitive output.

A recent study conducted by Charles Emery, a psychologist in Ohio State University (U.S.A) with 33 volunteers (both men and women), who were taking part in a cardiac rehabilitation programme after having by pass surgery, angioplasty or other procedures to treat clogged arteries seems to endorse such views.

The volunteers reported that they 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 exercise was conducted on 14 volunteers (men and women within the age-range 42 to 61) at Visakhapatnam. Insdtead 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 the watches during treadmill, totally forgot to do so, as they were absorbed in the rhythms. Some of them reported that they never even found the tiredness, which creeps in when one does treadmill without any music!

The other ragas recommended by this author – of course by lacing with appropriate tempo and beats – are : ahir bhairav, ananda bhairavi, atana, behag, bilahari, devagandhari, dvijavanti (jayjaywanti), hamsdhwani, hindolam, jagan mohini, kadanakudoohalam, kharaharapriya, khamas, kundalavaralli, latangi, mohanakalyani, nagaswaralli, nata, sankarabharanam, shanmugapriya, suddha dhanyasi!

I am sure for the ‘not-so-enthusiasts of exercise’, such music will work as a stimulant companion!

(The author can be contacted at his e-mail: tvsairam@redifmail.com)