Ever notice how you tend to move more quickly when you’re listening to music?

That’s not just your imagination. A recent study found that the source of rhythmic auditory stimuli can actually influence the speed and the ways we tend to move.

In the study, participants were asked to reach for a target while listening to either a metronome, drumming, or no sound. The researchers found that participants who listened to groovy drumming reached more quickly and with greater peak velocity than those who listened to the metronome or no sound.

The researchers suggest that this is because the drum’s more complex rhythm provided more precise timing information, which helped participants to better plan and execute their movements. The metronome’s simpler rhythm, on the other hand, may have been less helpful for timing movements.

The findings of this study suggest that rhythmic auditory stimuli can be used to improve the temporal features of goal-directed movements. This could be useful for people who need to improve their coordination or speed, such as athletes or surgeons or folks doing everyday tasks with more pep.

So next time you need to make a quick move, put on some music and let the beat guide you!

Here are some more fun facts about rhythm and movement:

  • Rhythm can be used to entrain our movements, meaning that we can synchronize our movements to the beat of music.
  • Rhythm can also be used to improve our motor skills, such as our balance and coordination.
  • Rhythm can even be used to reduce stress and anxiety.

Final Thoughts

So if you’re looking for a way to improve your movement, music is a great place to start. Find some music that you enjoy and move your body to the groove. You might just be surprised at how good you feel!

I have a feeling Johnny Cash had this very thought in mind when he sang “Get Rhythm.” Give it a listen.

Peters, C. M.,& Glazebrook, C. M. (2022). Temporal features of goal-directed movements change with source, but not frequency, of rhythmic auditory stimuli. Journal of Motor Behavior, 54(1), 67-79. doi: 10.1080/00222895.2021.1892576

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Bio: Laurel Myers Hurst, MS, MA, APRN-CNP, PMHNP-BC, CIPP
Board certified in psychiatric mental health across the lifespan and active in the practice of applied ethnomusicology, Laurel is the founder of the Groove Therapy Institute, developer of the Groove Therapy model, and author of Groove Therapy: Head-to-toe transformation in the rhythms of healthy living. Read Laurel’s bio (link to About – Laurel Myers Hurst) and contact Laurel through LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurelmyershurst/

Model: https://familytrauma.com/2018/10/26/failure-to-launch-the-safety-planning-technique/