By Jena Goldberg
Special to GUIDON
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Do you ever observe your fellow gym patrons on any given day of the week?  And if so, have you ever noticed any of them so far in their zone that they don’t seem to be observing anything but the task in front of them?

I have witnessed this on many occasions. As a matter of fact, I have even heard a few of them singing their heart out while resting in between sets — not sure if they were even aware that they were performing for anyone.

While singing to your favorite tunes can seem a bit foolish while working out, or even a bit painful for those around you, the truth is that it can enhance your performance greatly. Here are a few things you might not know about the power of music:

— Music helps us focus: When we are tuned into our music, our focus can be changed from what our body is experiencing to the external sounds we are hearing. Music can even help us to mask the feelings of fatigue by following the rhythm of our favorite songs, helping us to work out for longer periods of time.

— Music assists performance: Music can make us want to get up and move with its fast, energizing beat, or it can be used to slow us down for relaxation or stretching exercises.

— Music helps motivate: There’s nothing quite like music to boost our spirits. Listening to music we love increases the chances that we will return and do it again. This, in turn, can make our gains in the gym greater or make our running performance smoother.

— Music can improve motor coordination: A 2004 study in the Journal of Neuroscience showed that music increased motor coordination with those affected by Parkinson’s disease. Further studies also noted that music assisted patients with paralysis suffered after a stroke.

My final word is this: Fitness has a million obstacles and hurdles that we must overcome if we ever intend to reach the goals that we have set for ourselves. And more times than not, every time we make it to the top and reach the goal that we’ve set, we feel the need to raise the bar just a bit higher. It’s just human nature and the need to be the best — especially for the uniformed company that surrounds us on beautiful Fort Leonard Wood. Music may be the missing link that we need to make fitness a lifetime commitment.

Today’s technology can enable us to have hundreds of our favorite tunes clipped to our workout clothes in a device smaller than a matchbox.

If your workout needs a jump start, it may be time for you to make a musical investment as well.

After all, if our goal is to exercise for a lifetime, wouldn’t it be fun to move to the beat of music while we do it?

(Editor’s note: Goldberg is a military spouse, mother, certified personal trainer, National Figure competitor and fitness writer. Her column appears bi-monthly.)