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Quick pre-workout tweak could improve your endurance by 20%, study finds
By Kelly McGreal
Published May 03, 2026
Listening to your favorite music during a workout could help you exercise longer without feeling more exhausted, according to new research.
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland found that people who selected their own music were able to extend their endurance by nearly 20% during high-intensity exercise.
The findings were published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise.
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The study included 29 recreationally active adults who completed two identical cycling sessions at about 80% of their peak effort.
A study found that choosing your own music can boost endurance by nearly 20% during intense exercise. (iStock)
One session was done in silence, while the other allowed participants to listen to music they chose themselves.
Those listening to music lasted nearly six minutes longer on average, exercising for about 36 minutes compared to roughly 30 minutes without it.
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Despite the longer sessions, heart rate and other physical markers remained similar, indicating that the body was working just as hard in both conditions.
Researchers said the difference appears to come from how people perceive effort rather than any change in physical ability.
People who listened to music worked out for about 36 minutes on average, about six minutes longer than the 30 minutes without music. (iStock)
"Self-selected music doesn’t change your fitness level … it simply helps you tolerate sustained effort for longer," lead researcher Andrew Danso said.
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Familiar songs may help distract from discomfort and make sustained effort feel more manageable, the study noted.
"Our research shows that letting people choose their own motivating music may help them accumulate more quality training time, which could translate to better fitness gains, improved adherence to exercise [programs], and possibly more people staying active," Danso added.
Outside experts agreed that the benefit likely comes from a shift in mindset.
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"People who exercise with music they enjoy are able to exercise longer because it changes their mindset," Carole Lieberman, a Beverly Hills psychiatrist, told Fox News Digital.
Choosing your own motivating music may help you train longer and more effectively, improving fitness and making it easier to stick with exercise. (iStock)
"Instead of thinking of exercise as a chore, it feels like something they are choosing to do and becomes fun," she added.
However, the study does have some limitations. Researchers noted the relatively small sample size of 29 participants and the fact that all were physically active adults, which may limit how broadly the findings apply to other groups.
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The exercise sessions also focused on a specific type of high-intensity cycling, so results may vary with different workouts.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/quick-pre-workout-tweak-could-improve-your-endurance-20-study-finds