Music and Exercise - a Great Combo

Turn on some tunes and take care of your teeth. Too much of a stretch? Not if you're physically fit. Music enhances reasoning, and exercise benefits your overall and dental health. What happens if you combine music and exercise?

Apparently, you get smarter. Volunteers who listened to Vivaldi's Four Seasons while on a treadmill performed twice as well on a test of verbal ability than when they exercised without music. The next step will be to test people using music they choose themselves.

Getting smarter is nice, but the volunteers said they felt better emotionally and mentally after working out - with or without the music.

Here's how exercise can benefit you:

• Increases bone density for stronger bones and teeth.
• Increases cardiovascular efficiency.
• Increases flexibility.
• Increases endorphins which make you feel like smiling.