How Many People Choose Music For Walking?

It has long been recognised that playing music during exercise can help concentration and focus the mind on the job in hand. Ever since the Sony Walkman was unleashed on the world in 1979, changing our music listening habits forever, music has become an essential part of individual pursuits such as running, jogging and cycling. What person hasn't seen a jogger with a piece of wire attached to each ear, with an MP3 device clipped on the back of their shorts?

Now walkers and hikers can also take up the habit, and benefit from music for walking. So, here we recommend some artists and composers for three different styles of walking:

Countryside Ambles 
Vaughan Williams, John Denver, Erik Satie, Dire Straits and Cliff Richard: All of these artists and composers have a range of gentle and soft music ideal for the Sunday afternoon countryside amble.

Stiff Hilly Hikes 
Queen, Gustav Holst, Iron Maiden and The Prodigy: If you're going up a mountain or need to cover a few more miles quickly, then this selection will suit you fine - hard and sometimes very fast.

Athletic Power Walking 
Kraftwerk, Wagner, Beethoven and Paul Oakenfold: Get yourself into a trance with the big German composers or some experimental electronic sounds.

On a serious note, it's a proven fact that whilst music in itself doesn't necessarily improve a person's health and fitness, listening to music whilst exercising can help improve the ability to keep to regular fitness routines, be it through music for walking, hiking, running or cycling. Music helps improve concentration levels during physical activity and as a result it can have a dramatic effect indirectly on a person's health.

If you're going walking after reading this, try equipping yourself with some basic equipment; a small MP3 player with a clip and some earphones that won't fall out during your physical exertions. All you then need to do now is choose some music for walking from the artists above - and your away.

Happy Hiking!