Selecting music for exercise: the music preferences of UK exercisers

There is currently little information regarding the music preferences of exercisers. This absence might have important implications given suggestions that an aversion to a music style and/or piece might constrain the proposed extra-musical benefits. This study aimed to address this. Utilising an online survey, one thousand, one hundred and forty-five UK exercisers were questioned as to their listening preferences whilst exercising. Overall, the results highlighted a predilection for genres such as Pop, Dance/House and Rock. However, Chi-squared analysis revealed some gender differences; for example, the tendency for males to prefer “heavier” music styles. There was also a move towards less mainstream/contemporary music with age for both males and females. The outcomes of this study offer guidance to those tasked with selecting musical accompaniment for exercise within both the practical and research domains.