In this article
- Why having the right playlist improves your flow
- How to put together your ski and snowboard playlist to influence your mood
- How different music genres impact your skiing and snowboarding style
- The science behind music-mind-body connection
- Recommended playlist collaboration by women skiers and snowboarders
Not sure what to include on your playlist for skiing and snowboarding? Song selection may be more important than you think. Music has incredible influence on our mood, rhythm, style, and confidence. So much so, that curating the perfect ski and snowboard playlist can actually help you ride with the confidence and style you’ve been dreaming of.
Body-Mind-Music Connection
We took a closer look at the impact songs from different music genres have on our body and mind – the science is pretty amazing! And it makes a logical sense when you think about the way you feel when different music genres are played.
Listening to music that you enjoy can also help with pain tolerance, according to studies published by the National Library of Medicine, which is good for pushing through a strenuous run and enduring a long day on the slopes.
Clicking into a skiing or snowboarding playlist can also help boost feel-good hormone serotonin and improve your mood, according to National Center for Health Research.
Picture yourself on the top of the mountain, fresh off the chair lift – how do you want to feel as you prepare to carve down the mountain on your snowboard or skis? You can think of it as selecting your ‘walk out’ song as a professional athlete. What music genre makes you feel alive and ready to go?
Decide how you want to feel on the mountain and curate the perfect playlist to achieve it – here’s how.
Rock Music: Empowering, Rebellious, Energizing
Electric guitars blaring, wild drum solos, and energetic vocals – rock music is proven to increase your heart rate and level up your energy and adrenaline – a perfect way to start your morning. Listening to your favorite rock artists while driving to the mountain, getting your gear on and riding that first chair of the day will help you feel excited and ready to shred.
Definitely add rock songs to your ski and snowboard playlist if you want to feel empowered and confident on the mountain. Rock songs can physically prepare you to take on danger and challenges, and manage intense stimulation like approaching a set of jumps in the park.
Listening to rock artists like The Killers and Florence and the Machine while you’re skiing and snowboarding can help you feel empowered and energized with a rebellious vibe. Reddit user angelathegreatest said, “I like to start a mix of Rebel Girl (either by Bikini Kill or Linda Lindas) if I’m feeling punk. There is always a Joan Jett [song] in this mix which makes me happy.”
Rock music activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing a “fight or flight response.” This boosts energy and alertness while also sharpening focus and reaction time – ideal during critical sections like when you’re carving a tree line or navigating a crowded ski slope.
Rock music can physically redirect your blood flow from your gut to your limbs, fueling strength and speed as you ski or snowboard. Your digestive system may slow down, helping conserve energy for survival. Your heart rate increases, helping to pump oxygen to your muscles. Your breathing deepens and your oxygen supply increases in your lungs, helping you breath easier while exerting energy.
This music genre can also help your maintain your focus throughout the day or skiing and snowboarding, even as your body begins to feel fatigued. Studies show that rock music helps the body sustain energy and alertness over long periods of time.
Pop Music: Happy, Light, Social
When you’re riding with friends, create a ski and snowboard playlist with more pop songs. Curating a shredding playlist with your favorite pop songs can put you in a happy mood and make you feel more socially connected to your riding buddies. Pop music helps us feel lighter, which may be perfect on a powder day when you want to keep your momentum and flow, floating over the fresh powder.
Studies show that pop music releases dopamine with its predictable melodies and repetition. With catchy melodies, upbeat tempos and repetitive rhythms, pop music Like Khalid, Big Wild, and Benson Boone can lighten your riding rhythm and flow as you feel more carefree.
The internal rhythms of your body align with the beat of pop music, helping to sync your heartbeat, breathing and neural firing. You may find your body connecting to the music and you start bobbing your head or dancing without thinking about it.
Want to push yourself and progress in the park? Hip-hop music may be able to help get you there.
Hip-Hop & Rap: Empowered, Assertive, Expressive
Want a kick of confidence on the slopes? Add hip-hop and rap songs to your skiing and snowboarding playlist. This music genre can help amp you up and find the courage to charge a bigger jump or stick the landing on a new trick you’ve been hesitant to try. Hip-hop and rap can boost your confidence while helping you feel grounded – the perfect combination for skiing and snowboarding.
Hip-hop and rap music can help you find your groove and improve your skiing and snowboarding style with lyrical flow. When you listen to bass frequencies in hip-hop and rap music you may also be able to physically feel it in your chest and stomach, creating a physical connection to the music that can translate to your riding.
Select songs that match your skiing and snowboarding tempo and pace and let the music flow through your body. Don’t forget this hack when curating your skiing and snowboarding playlist, as it’s a key function for the connection between music and exercise, according to an article published by Brigham Young University. When listening and scanning songs to add to your playlist, think of what you want your breathing pace to be. The rhythm of the song can help regulate your breathing as your heart rate increases and calm your nerves as you get ready to hit a challenging section.
Electronic Dance Music (EDM): Euphoric, Liberated, Trance-Like
Are you into spirituality? Electronic dance music is filled with high-frequencies and synthesized beats with repetitive drops and build-ups. Listening to EDM while skiing and snowboarding can help you feel euphoric and free.
The fast tempo of EDM music will likely elevate your heart rate and increase your energy. The “drop” makes you feel a release of tension, and a rush of dopamine and endorphins follows. Low frequency bass can engage your body and help you actually feel the rhythm.
Music has been proven to help with pain relief.
R&B and Soul Music: Romantic, Intimate, Expressive
If you’re looking to slow things down in the afternoon or as you sit on the chairlift, flip to a R&B song. This music stimulates oxytocin release, also known as the “connection hormone” or “the love hormone” which can help you feel closer to your skiing and snowboarding friends. Oxytocin is a chemical in your body that is key for bonding, building trust, and emotional closeness.
Jump to: 15 Ways to Meet Friends You Connect With as an Adult
Studies have also shown that music releases dopamine (pleasure) and endorphins (pain relief), which describes the experience of skiing and snowboarding in a nutshell!
R&B and soul music encourages rhythm in movement, helping you to put everything together on your next run down the mountain. The smooth melodies, rich vocals, and deep groove can help you romanticize skiing and encourage you to be more expressive in your style.
Key Takeaways: Music for Your Skiing and Snowboarding Playlist
The music you listen to on the slopes can have a big impact on your confidence, mood, and riding style – likely much more than you realized! Decide how you want to feel on the ski slopes and then put together a playlist that aligns with your desired mood!
Rock music can help you feel energized, rebellious, and powerful, while pop music can help you feel happier and more connected to your friend group.
Rap and hip-hop music can help you feel empowered and confident, and help you find your rhythm and hone your personal style. Listening to EDM will give you a euphoric and free vibe, while R&B and soul music can influence your skiing and snowboarding style by encouraging you to be more expressive.
Isn’t music magical?!
Share this article with your skiing or snowboarding friend who loves music.
13 Song Recommendations by Lady Shredders
- “Rebel Girl” by Bikini Kill
- “Mystical Magical” by Benson Boone
- “Animals” by Martin Garrix
- “She’s Kerosene” by The Interrupters
- “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
- “Mannequin Love” by Justice
- “Love a Lair” by Red City Radio
- “The Spark” by Kabin Crew
- “Feelings Gone” by SG Lewis and London Grammar
- “Nobody (Make Me Feel)” by Oskar Med K and Khalid
- “POWER” by The Bouncing Souls
- “After the Party” by The Menzingers
- “6’s to 9’s” by Big Wild, Rotionale
Your questions about creating a skiing and snowboarding playlist, answered:
What music should I add to my ski and snowboarding playlist?
A mix of rock and hip hop music can help you feel confident and energized, and inspire your ski and snowboard style. Adding pop and electronic dance songs to your playlist can boost your mood and make you feel euphoric and social.
Uplifting music for skiing and snowboarding playlist?
Electronic dance music (EDM) and pop music can help skiers and snowboarders feel happy, carefree and social.
What’s the best music while riding in the park?
Because of its rhythm and confidence booster, hip-hop and rap are good music selections when you’re charging the park or half-pipe.
Music that will improve my skiing and snowboarding style?
Listening to hip-hop and rap music while skiing and snowboarding can help you improve your style and flow with rhythm, beats, and lyrical flow. This music genre also increases expression, helping you find your personal style.
What music will give me confidence while skiing and snowboarding?
Rock and hip hop music can help you feel strong and empowered.
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