Living

Feel the beat

Studies show the right music can help get you moving

Published

14 years ago

April 5, 2012

(Photo by Sombrero2003 via wikimedia)

In 2007 music among the competitors was banned from the New York City Marathon and also by the USA Track and Field. This made global headlines where music’s impact on exercise became more closely scrutinized.

In August 2010, the New York Times wrote an enlightening piece — “Phys Ed: Does exercise make you work harder.” The article cites a great deal of evidence and research to support music’s impact on exercise.

Who does not like some kind of music and who doesn’t use music to stimulate an activity? Why not use music while we exercise? Is there a benefit? I used to view music as a distraction from the body, which in exercise, of course, is the activity at hand. I would often tell my personal training clients to forego the headset, the TV, e-mail, etc., in lieu of focusing on the body; the heart, lungs and muscles so they were completely attuned to what was happening in the body. I was trained to recognize how important the mind/body connection is and that the experience of exercise was enhanced by focusing on what you are doing. By focusing, the thinking was, you would garner greater results.

But I’ve discovered that music can provoke an uplifting and motivational addition to exercise and there’s evidence to confirm this. While not everyone may love exercise, there is clearly a widespread love for music so why not combine the two so they “play” off one another. And while some will indeed use music solely as a distraction from exercise, others may encounter several added benefits.

To gain better understanding of just how much music influences exercise I went to gay local music entrepreneurs, Michael Pipitone and Mike Babbitt, co-owners of Yes! Fitness Music. They had a lot to say about music’s impact on exercise. After all it’s what they sell with more than 40 years of experience in the exercise music industry between them and boasting about 20,000 songs in their archives. Half their market is focused on serving high-energy exercise music both for group exercise instructors and personal workout enthusiasts.

If you don’t know who Pipitone and Babbitt are yet, you will. With several number one fitness albums on iTunes including “In the Key of Glee Workout Mix” inspired by the hit TV series and as the U.S. sub-publisher of the Pitbull hit “Krazy” featuring Lil’ Jon, these guys are making a name for themselves in D.C. and beyond.

Pipitone’s and Babbitt’s enthusiasm for what they do is matched by the enthusiasm in the music they sell. Yes! Fitness Music specializes in creating dance and up-tempo remixes of current and classic songs by updating and re-engineering them for a new audience. Tempo is only one part of the re-engineering equation, but if you want to create your own up-tempo music playlist from virtually any song in your iTunes library, you can download an app on your iPhone or iPod Touch called Tempo Magic Pro and it will increase the beats per minute of any song by as much as 24 percent.

Clinical psychologist Charles Emery of Ohio State University has studied the effects of exercise on various types of patients over the years and discovered that listening to music while engaging and performing in other activities enhances the experience. Emery took his research further to ascertain what would happen when these two passions were combined and discovered music’s positive effects on exercise.

Emery discovered that music stimulates the frontal lobe of the brain, the area responsible for and associated with higher mental function. It’s no wonder exercise helps us think through and process other areas of our lives, giving it a great duel purpose. People often do their best thinking while they exercise — it can stimulate us to think more clearly.

The United States Sports Academy has published in-depth articles focusing on the applied aspects of music in sports and exercise. The articles include work from prominent researchers in the field and support the multitude of positive influences music has on exercise.

IDEA, which bills itself as “the world’s largest association for fitness and wellness professionals,” has done extensive research as well and has collected supporting data on the effects music has on exercise.

The overwhelming majority of their findings agree that music stimulates and we use music to stimulate just about every conceivable activity from Yoga to housework. I’ve used music to help me sleep since I was 12. It’s been demonstrated among the research that music improves compliance, reduces feeling of fatigue, boosts spirit, increases the relaxation response and improves motor coordination.

The findings are not universally accepted — there are some researchers who rebut the findings, but there’s enough solid research from credible sources to use music when you work out.

Real Estate

Introducing Next-Generation Assisted Living & Memory Support.

Now Available in Tysons: Kokua at The Mather

Published

1 hour ago

May 28, 2026

Autos

A magical Mercedes

S-Class continues to define what luxury really means

Published

5 days ago

May 23, 2026

Joe Phillips

Mercedes S-Class

At my stage of life — “somewhere between 40 and death,” as the iconic line goes in the musical “Mame” — I want some pampering. A lot of pampering.

Luckily, for anyone who constantly craves a soothing spa, steam room or sauna, there’s the completely updated Mercedes S-Class. This flagship sedan is now so full of glitz, glamour, and gee-whiz gadgetry, it gives new meaning to the term “auto erotica.”

Does this make the S-Class a “gay” ride? For me, any vehicle that pushes my buttons like this one is a Kinsey 6.

MERCEDES S-CLASS

$122,000 (est.)

MPG: 21 city/31 highway

0 to 60 mph: 4.3 seconds

Trunk space: 19 cu. ft.

PROS: Exceptional comfort. Ultra-quiet cabin. Cutting-edge safety.

CONS: Price climbs fast. Tech learning curve. Sportier competitors.

The S-Class continues to define what luxury really means, with a bolder silhouette, larger grille, and striking, next-gen LED headlights. There’s also an optional illuminated Mercedes star on the hood. Overall, nearly 2,700 parts are new or improved, so more than 50 percent of this vehicle has been updated. An extreme makeover, to be sure.

At the same time, this latest S-Class leans harder into intelligence and electrification than ever before. Under the hood, a range of turbocharged inline-six and V8 engines — paired with mild-hybrid systems — deliver power in a way that seems almost edited for smoothness. Braking is solid and strong, too, but never abrupt. All the engineering is fine-tuned and intentional.

Yes, the top-of-the line S580 version is more expensive, almost $140,000. But it’s also blisteringly fast, zipping from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. That’s as lickety-split swift as a Lamborghini Revuelto supercar, which has a starting MSRP of $610,000 and can easily exceed — yowza! — $800,000.

Colors? There are 150 to choose from for the exterior and 400 for the interior. You can even customize the illuminated door sills, interior stitching and wheel accents.

And the ride quality? Sublime. Adaptive air suspension reads the road constantly, leveling out imperfections before they even register. Rear-axle steering enhances maneuverability, making this full-sized sedan feel surprisingly nimble in tight spaces. On the highway, the S-Class simply glides like a private yacht on the calmest of seas — extremely quiet, composed and completely unbothered.

Whenever you slide inside, the cabin immediately sets the tone. A massive OLED digital display — the same high-def technology used for cinematic viewing and gaming monitors — anchors the dashboard, running the latest MBUX infotainment interface. Highly customizable, this software allows for advanced voice commands that feel natural, not forced. And an augmented-reality navigation system takes your route and overlays it onto live camera feeds. It’s intuitive — mostly, as there is a learning curve for all this cutting-edge gear. Overall, though, such amenities make older setups feel like dial-up internet.

A Burmester surround-sound stereo is available in 3D or 4D, with up to 31 speakers, 1,690 watts and tactile transducers in the seats that vibrate and pulse with the music. Those seats are, of course, extremely comfortable. And the seatbelts? These are now heated.

Let’s not forget the latest cabin air-filtration system, which can remove ultra-fine particles to deliver air quality that rivals medical environments. Clean air, yes, but even this seems like a special treat. It’s like being swaddled in couture, not ready-to-wear.

And lastly, there’s the rear-seat area, which — to be honest — is where the S-Class really shines. Executive packages offer multi-contour reclining seats with rapid heating and ventilating, heated armrests and massage functions. You can opt for a footrest, which ups the glam factor to give you a calf massage. Dual 13.1-inch display screens come with their own remote controls. There’s also a video-conferencing feature, to help transform the rear cabin into a fully connected mobile office. For me, it feels less “back seat” and more “private lounge.”

Even in fiction, high-tech luxury carries weight. Tony Stark helped cement the idea that state-of-the art vehicles can be aspirational, not just practical. The magical S-Class fits right into that narrative — minus the flying suit (for now).

Advice

I’m a 64-year-old single gay man and I hate my life

How can I turn things around before it’s too late?

Published

6 days ago

May 22, 2026

Michael Radkowsky

I’m officially old, maybe even nearing the finish line and I’m getting bitter.

Dear Michael,

I’m a 64-year-old single gay man and I hate my life.

I’ve never had a relationship that lasted more than a few months. I can’t say why. I don’t think I’m defective. I wasn’t unattractive when I was younger (still not bad looking), I think I’m an interesting person to spend time with, but everything always seemed to fizzle out.

Thankfully, I missed AIDS because I came out after people knew what to do. Sometimes I wonder if fear of contracting the virus metastasized into a fear of getting close. I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve consciously kept people away. Consciously I have wanted someone to share my life with, very much.

With my 65th birthday and official senior citizen status approaching, I’ve been taking stock of my life and am coming to the hard realization that I’m never going to find that elusive partner.

I don’t go out anymore because people look right through me, except the ones who have a fetish for older guys. No one’s actually interested in me as me, a unique person rather than what they see on the surface.

I’m tired of my coupled friends. They’re always talking about “we.” Yes, I have become resentful that they have what I want and will never get. I know that’s not admirable but it’s how I feel, secretly, and I am sick of feeling like this when I am around them. So why be around them?

And I’m tired of my friends who are focused on sex all the time. It just all feels like a waste of time. I don’t get anything from a hookup anymore, they’ve been feeling increasingly meaningless. I feel like I’m someone’s momentary opportunity to get off, rather than any kind of real connection.

I’m just sick of the whole chase I’ve been doing for the last 40+ years.

I’m realizing that the whole thing has been pointless, a quest for a partner who is never going to materialize and a lot of diversions along the way that have added up to a despairing feeling that I’ve wasted my life trying to get something that will never happen.

Gay life hasn’t been so gay for me. And I’m officially old, maybe even nearing the finish line. Yes, if you haven’t noticed, I’m getting bitter.

What do I do with this dead end?

Michael replies:

How about looking for a different road to go down?

I’m not going to challenge your belief that you aren’t going to find a partner. I think it’s possible that you could, because there are other guys out there, in your age range, who are looking. But you have no guarantee, especially if you have decided to take it off the table.

So what else can you do with your life? How can you make your remaining time on this earth well-lived?

From your letter, it’s clear what you don’t want to do: Look for a boyfriend, hook up, or spend time with your current friends. Surely there must be more possibilities for your life than those options.

So my advice is to figure out some things you care about and start doing them. Travel? Volunteering? Getting a companion animal? Taking classes? Finding a new career? Those are just a few of the ideas I can come up with, but I don’t know you. What ideas can you generate, that you suspect you’d like to pursue?

In other words, start putting one foot in front of the other and go in some new directions that intrigue you enough to explore.

Sitting around feeling miserable does not help you to get anywhere. It keeps you feeling miserable. Sitting around waiting to feel better does not lead you to feel better. What would help you get to a better place would be to start taking action on your own behalf. Always keep in mind that while you are alive, with your faculties intact, you do have the choice to take this step, over and over and over again.

If you give yourself something (or some things) worthwhile to put your focus on, and do your best to shift your focus there whenever you notice that you are lamenting, I’m hopeful you will create a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

I’m also hopeful that if you are spending time doing things that you actually enjoy and that enrich your life, you may find more satisfying companionship than you are experiencing with your current friend group. (And yes, this could include a romantic relationship if you decide to be open to this possibility.)

A brief reply in an advice column can point you in the right direction, but it is likely not enough to sustain and motivate you through a major life overhaul.

Therefore, I suggest that you find a therapist to help you figure out how to move forward and what to move toward; and also to grieve, and put to rest as best you can, the loss of the life you hoped you would have.

I know that transcending the loss of a huge lifelong dream may seem impossible. But working toward this, as best you are able, would help you.

Relatedly, one more thing that I hope you can address with a therapist is your bitterness. I do understand why you feel so bitter, and I also think that it is torquing your life in a downhill direction.

Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who works with couples and individuals in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and New York. He can be found online at michaelradkowsky.com. All identifying information has been changed for reasons of confidentiality. Have a question? Send it to [email protected].