Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect music had on walking performance as measured by the distance traveled, heart rate, and feeling status of the older adults. Sixteen individuals completed the Exercise-Induced Feeling Inventory (EFI) immediately following a walking workout over a four week time period. Each week the older adults walked to a different musical CD playing in the background.The majority of older adults had the highest number of steps when no music was present. The results also showed that heart rates were the highest when participants were walking without music. These findings indicate that walking with no music facilitated the physical performance, at least for walking performance, of the older adults. In comparison heart rate was the lowest when the older adults walked to slow music. Positive engagement was the only feeling state to be significantly different by type of music. Participants reported a higher positive engagement for no music than for slow, fast, or natural music.Based on these findings the participant preferred and performed best when they exercised without any music in the background. While the sample size was low, the researcher believes further research with older adults is needed to clarify the effect music has on one's walking performance.