I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “no pain, no gain,” but when push comes to shove, no one really enjoys feeling pain. Whether that means getting a paper cut or jamming your finger, you’d want to resolve that pain quickly. Now, what if doing something as basic as exercising and listening to music did just that? According to German researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, a new fitness technology called Jymmin lowers one’s pain threshold by combining musical improvisation and working out.
The premise behind Jymmin is that while you work out on specially designed fitness machines, different degrees of strength and movements you apply cause the release of different sounds and music. For example, machines like an abdominal trainer or pull bar can be installed with built-in sensor systems that detect different movements. In essence, you become the musical composer while the gym machines are your instruments. According to Dr. Thomas Fritz, subjects who used Jymmin for ten minutes displayed a 10-50% rise in pain tolerance. The researchers measured this by having subjects engulf their forearms into ice water. Compared to subjects who did normal exercise, Jymmin subjects were able to immerse their arms for five seconds longer.
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The researchers hypothesize that the science behind Jymmin is an increased release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural way to reduce pain. The combination of exercise and music seems to trigger the brain in just the right way to release more endorphins. Thus, one becomes less sensitive to pain. Dr. Fritz and his researchers believe Jymmin can be used in rehabilitation centers to treat chronic pain or anxiety. Furthermore, Jymmin can be applied to the sports world, allowing athletes to improve their endurance and performance through lowered pain sensitivity.
Jymmin provides a revolutionary way to manage pain. For instance, for someone with back pain, the common course of action is to take medications like aspirin to treat it. However, Jymmin can be an alternative to medications by naturally triggering the body’s own response. Thus, when it comes to pain relief, there are other creative treatments that can pay dividends.
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