"Music isn't distracting only because it siphons off your ability to hear other noises like a car or—super scary—an attacker approaching, says Diana Deutsch, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of California at San Diego who researches the perception of sound. "Music floods the brain and takes over your thought processes," she explains.
"You concentrate on the lyrics, or the music evokes certain memories or sends you into a daydream." Some scientists speculate that music may even have the power to dampen your sight. "The tempo can interfere with the rate at which your brain perceives images that are passing by you, which could trip you up," says Deutsch. In short, music draws your attention away from what you're doing and increases your risk of literally running into a dangerous situation like an oncoming bus, a malicious stranger, or a lamppost."
- "Jogging to music? Unplug for a safer workout," - Women'sHealth Magazine (July 10, 2011). Psychologists warn that music and other technological gadgets distract you when you're exercising and compromise your safety, and stimulates your "fight-or-flight" response in your body, risking overexertion.
Does music help or hurt your own workout?
