WEB RADIO TODAY

The Faith and Fitness Podcast

Skip Orem detals how music can help to motivate you before and during exercise

Push the Play Button to listen to Episode 18 of The Web Radio Today Podcast

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

Recorded at Skip’s Voice Over Studio Nolensville, TN

Scripture Quoted : 

TRANSCRIPT

Skip Orem (00:08):

From the quaint little Nashville suburban town of Nolensville, Tennessee, I’m Skip Orem and this is Web Radio Today, episode 18. Thank you so much everybody for making the choice to listen to Web Radio Today. Today we’re going to focus on music as motivation for exercise. This is the August 28, 2020 episode. It’s a beautiful late August morning here in Nolensville. I had intended to record the podcast today on my back porch but the cicadas have invaded and I don’t think you would appreciate their background noise in the podcasts throughout the whole episode today. I’ve moved it back upstairs into my skips voice recording studio.

Skip Orem (01:09):

Nolensville, Tennessee is such a cool little town, not so little anymore. Well, it’s becoming one of Nashville’s favorite go-to suburbs as the growth here in the Nashville, Tennessee area is just taken off like crazy. Over 100 people a day are relocating to the Nashville area. I know the attraction of middle Tennessee because I was one of those new people moving down here about eight years ago from Ohio. I’ve been so happy living here in the beautiful state of Tennessee. On the podcast today, we’re going to continue to focus on the music element of the Web Radio Today disease fighting and fitness model. If you remember on last week’s episode, we focused on how music, well, how it can improve your mood and how it can reduce stress, lessen your anxiety, and how it just improves your overall health and well- being.

Skip Orem (02:13):

Today though, I want to feature how music can be such a motivator to get you exercising. On this episode, our mini workout is going to be just a little longer than usual. I usually include a two to three minute mini workout in each episode. But today, that mini workout, it will be 11 minutes long because it’s going to be a heart rate training, interval training mini workout. More about that later in the podcast. Also, later in this episode, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on how important music is in our relationship with God. A very full podcast episode today. Before we start talking in more detail about the music element, the Web Radio Today disease fighting and fitness model, just a few quick comments about what I was thinking this morning specifically about exercise.

Skip Orem (03:12):

You all know that the Web Radio Today disease fighting and fitness model has seven elements, faith, diet, exercise, attitude, positive imagery, and music, which we will focus on today. And then knowledge. This morning, as I was doing my exercise, I was thinking about the importance of exercise, especially as it relates to cancer. So many of our listeners are cancer survivor, at least so far. I know what it’s like to be diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. I don’t want my cancer to come back at all so I do everything I can every day to keep it from coming back and to keep myself healthy. Regular listeners of the podcast know that my battle with prostate cancer earlier this year was the main reason that I started the Web Radio Today Podcast.

Skip Orem (04:10):

I want you all to remember and keep focused on the fact that vigorous activity like the mini workout we’re going to do today, vigorous activity can actually lower the risk of you getting cancer, and lots of physical activity may actually improve the survival rate of cancer patients. Everybody, I want you to exercise as vigorously and as often as your own physical fitness will allow. Check with a doctor, but if you’re not exercising regularly right now, start taking action. Start making a plan, start exercising. 

We have talked a lot about exercise over the past several episodes. We’ve talked about strength training, and we continue to talk about heart rate training. If you haven’t listened to those episodes, there is good information in each one of them.

Skip Orem (05:08):

If you don’t have time to listen, you can skim the transcripts. All of the Web Radio Today episodes since we began the podcast, they’re on the webradiotoday.com website and the complete transcripts of each episode are also there on the website. They’re there for you as a resource for you to use and continue to use whenever you want. Don’t forget. You will be doing some vigorous exercise as you listen to the episode today because mini heart rate training workout, it’s coming up later. Now though for our featured song and after we listen to this featured song, I’ll be back to talk about how music can improve your workouts, how it can elevate your mood, how it can motivate you to do your training, how it can keep you on pace as you exercise, and how it can help you recover faster after your workout.

Skip Orem (06:22):

For now though, enjoy our featured song. It’s a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. You know those two guys, but performed for us today in an amped up cover. Here’s Blake Morgan, Maybe I’m Amazed. (singing) Blake Morgan, Maybe I’m Amazed. This is the second Web Radio Today podcast episode featuring information about the music element of our disease fighting and fitness model. Last week, we talked about the overall advantages of listening to music, getting involved in the arts, and how that can help extend your life, fight disease and keep you healthy. On today’s episode though, we’re going to focus on using music to help you with exercise.

Skip Orem (11:03):

If you get up one day and decide that you don’t feel like working out, don’t feel like exercising, I want you to try just putting on the headphones and start listening to some motivating music, maybe a special workout playlist you might’ve put together. I bet that all of a sudden you’ll get a hanker to start moving and to start your workout. I urge everybody to build a playlist of their favorite workout songs, music you want to listen to while you’re doing your exercising. Then once you put that playlist together, keep switching out the songs or create multiple playlist. There is so much awesome music out there, great motivating music out there no matter what your musical taste that you can use to include in your workout playlist.

Skip Orem (11:54):

We’re all different and everyone has their own special music taste. Let me give you some general guidelines for choosing your workout music. First of all, what kind of workout are you going to be doing? Is it like heart rate training workout? If that’s the case, choose upbeat, uptempo positive music. If you’re doing a strength training workout, then it’s a little different. I have friends who just love to play 1990s heavy metal songs during their strength workout. With strength training, the temple of the music is not as important as the power the music gives you. I like songs with heavy bass in them when I’m doing strength training. If you’re doing yoga or stretching exercises, then maybe you want a more peaceful kind of sound. Music is so very, very personal.

Skip Orem (12:50):
First, determine what you want the music to do for you. Do you need it to get you moving and then

moving faster? Do you need it to give you strength? Do you need it to chill out? I thought about putting

a suggested exercise playlist together, but then I was thinking workout music it probably works best when it’s individualized to each person’s tastes and their own determination of what motivates them. The important thing is to include music, maybe not in every workout. Sometimes it’s motivating enough just to look around and engage with your surroundings. Other times though, music can kickstart your workout and drive you to give it your best. There is a study out there that determined that runners who listened to motivating music during a race, that they completed the race faster than runners who weren’t listening to music.

Skip Orem (13:54):

You know all about endorphins, those cool chemicals that your body releases when you exercise to make you feel good. One study found that listening to music releases other body chemicals associated with pleasure. Music also it’ll help you maintain your pace while you’re working out. The rhythm of the music that you’re listening to, the beat, it gets you moving in step with a song. Let me ask you this, even though I know the answer, do you ever get bored during a workout? Well, music, it will help distract you from that boredom, keep you going. One more thing, listening to music during your recovery period after a workout, it’ll actually help to bring your heart rate down as you cool down and recover.

Skip Orem (14:42):

Web Radio Today homework, start listening to music and find your favorite workout songs. Put them together in a playlist for your next workout. Remember this everybody, music works together with your faith, exercise, diet, attitude, positive imagery, and knowledge to keep you healthy and fight disease. At the beginning of the episode, I promised you a mini workout, an in the zone interval training, heart rate training mini workout. We’re going to be doing a plan B workout, meaning we will be exercising in all four of your heart rate training zones. By the way, the aerobic zone and anaerobic zones in this workout, they’re going to challenge you. Don’t worry if you have any trouble completing some of the intervals. I promise, you will not get confused during the workout because I’m going to be there to coach you all the way through.

Skip Orem (15:56):

This is going to be fun today. I want you to try it. For some of you, this might be your first experience with interval training. I’m going to help you during this workout to listen to your body, to determine if you’re on the correct heart rate training zones. This mini workout, it’s going to last for 11 minutes. I want you to enjoy and listen to how the music helps you during this workout. If you are not familiar with heart rate training, I suggest that you go to the Web Radio Today website, that’s webradiotoday.com and then listen to or read the transcripts and other links for Web Radio Today episodes 13 and 14. You can still do this workout today if you want, either by just staying at a constant pace or listening to your body and move with the pace of the music.

Skip Orem (16:53):

As we change, move back and forth between the different trainings zones. Right now, I want you to get up and start moving very slowly in heart rate training zone one. Very easy and slow like a stroll at the mall. You’re just starting to warm up right now. This is the very easy warmup and cool down zone one. 50 to 60% of your maximum heart rate. Start moving just a little faster as we move into zone two, your healthy heart rate zone. That’s 60 to 70% of your maximum heart rate. You’re spending a little more effort in the zone. You’re starting to condition your heart. When the music changes, I want you to move your pace into zone three, the aerobic training zone. 70 to 80% of your maximum heart rate.

When you’re training in zone three, your breathing should be somewhat difficult. You probably couldn’t really carry on a conversation.

Skip Orem (18:13):

This is not the fastest that you’ll go in this workout, but it should definitely challenge you. Slow it down to zone two and recover. Get ready to speed it up again to zone three. This time, for a full minute, 60 seconds. (singing) Slow down. Recover in zone two. The next two intervals that are coming up will involve first of all, 60 seconds in zone three. Then that will be followed by an all out effort in zone four, your anaerobic heart rate zone. In this zone four intervals, we are moving as fast as we can. 90% of your maximum heart rate. (singing) Recover here in zone two for 30 seconds, and then we’ll do it all over again. 60 seconds in zone three followed by 15 seconds in zone four. (singing)

Skip Orem (23:43):

Recover here in zone two for 30 seconds and then we’ll do the most difficult series of intervals of the workout. 60 seconds in zone three followed by 30 seconds in zone four. The good news, after this series of intervals, we get to rest. (singing) Congratulations, everybody. You have completed all of the speed intervals of this little Web Radio Today mini heart rate training workout. I want you to slow your pace down into zone two, that’s your healthy heart rate zone. We need to keep moving for the next two minutes but at a much slower pace as we begin to cool down from the workout. Were you able to complete all of the intervals in each zone? Well, if not, I don’t want you to worry. Just keep doing heart rate interval training and you’ll get better each time you workout.

Skip Orem (26:30):

Though zone four interval is at 90% of your maximum heart rate, they’re difficult. Don’t worry if you had to slow down or even if you’re unable to complete the intervals. Just keep trying. Everybody, bring it all the way down into zone one. You’re just barely moving as we bring today’s mini workout to an end. Stay with me, everybody, because this episode, episode 18 of the Web Radio Today podcast, we have much more to come because I want to talk more about music and exercise and a little bit about music and worship. Stay with me. I will be very anxious to check my emails next week and see what you all thought about that little 11 minute interval training workout. Don’t forget though, your daily workouts should last for a minimum of 30 minutes. I hope that you’re doing them at least five days a week.

Skip Orem (27:48):

Next week’s episode, that’ll be episode 19. It will be released on Friday, September 4th. On that episode, I’m going to combine two of our Web Radio Today disease fighting and fitness elements, both positive imagery and attitude will be featured on that episode because the main topic, the main item we’re going to deal with then is stress relief. It’s important if you want to stay healthy and fight off disease, recover from diseases, you need to know how to deal with stress. That will be the subject of next week’s Web Radio Today podcast. As part of that episode, I’m also going to do a little positive imagery session on lowering stress. I think you’ll enjoy it and benefit from it. I hope you’ll download episode 19 on September 4th and give it a listen.

Skip Orem (28:43):

Remember too that Web Radio Today podcast episodes they’re available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just search either for Web Radio Today or my name, Skip Orem. The podcast and full transcripts are also available at webradiotoday.com. 

We’ve been discussing music on these past two episodes, how it needs to be an important part of our lives, how it helps us with exercising, especially how it helps us to lower stress, how it can help us escape sometimes. I was also thinking about how music, how it helps us connect with God. Do you notice how sometimes in church, the music, it can connect you directly to Jesus in a way that sometimes the sermons can’t. For most of my life, I had a real problem singing in church.

Skip Orem (30:00):

I know I probably sing off key and I don’t want to ruin the song. Sometimes I don’t know all the words. I’m trying to work past that but I do love listening to music in church. It helps me to feel the presence of Jesus. I enjoy watching the faces of the people in the choir or the musical groups or the soloist or the musicians playing their instrument. I can see their love of Jesus in their faces as they sing and as they play the songs. In my church, we stand for every song that’s being sung. I live in Nashville so music is a big thing here. That musical part of the service, it’s so entertaining. It’s wonderful but it’s pretty long. An old guy like me gets tired standing so long, but I enjoy it so much because it gives me a time to think about how much I love Jesus, how much God has done for me in my life, especially this year.

Skip Orem (31:21):

It’s amazing to me the talent that God gave to the people who can sing and play, what a wonderful gift from God. Then those that use that talent to praise God and the joy you can see on their faces, it makes me remember and think of the joy that I have in my personal relationship with Jesus. Joy, comfort, safety, peace, it’s all there when you give your life to Jesus. If there’s anybody listening to the podcast today, if you haven’t done that yet, what are you waiting for? It will change your life in so many positive ways. I’m not saying life’s going to be easier. In fact, it will probably get harder after you decide to walk with Jesus, but you will have a friend who will never, ever forsake you in this life or the next.

Skip Orem (32:32):

Giving your life to Jesus ensures that he will support you through the troubled times. He will give you forgiveness. He will give you comfort. He will give you peace and he will give you everlasting life. If you haven’t already given your life to Jesus, please do it real soon. You don’t know what the future holds. There may not be any time left. Walk into any church and tell the first person you meet that you’re lost and you need Jesus to help you find your way. You’re going to put a smile on their face. You’ll probably make a friend for life and they’ll introduce you to someone who already loves you, knows everything about you. His name is Jesus. He knows your troubles. He knows the bad things you’ve done.

Skip Orem (34:04):

He’s been watching your life and he’s never lost his love for you. He suffered and died on the cross so that your sins can be forgiven. Think about how deep that love is. Let him shower you with that love, that comfort, that safety, that peace, and let him walk with you through this life and the next. I’ll talk with you again next week. For the Web Radio Today Podcast, I’m Skip Orem. Bye everybody.