byUniversity of Jyväskylä

Credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Research led by the University of Jyväskylä has found that personalized interactive music systems—smart technologies that adapt rhythm and tempo to users' movements—can make exercise more enjoyable and help people stay active longer.

These systems, known as PIMSs, usereal-time datafrom wearables and smartphones to adjust musical features such as beat, tempo, and style to match the user's pace—whether walking, cycling or lifting weights. For example, when the system detects you speeding up, it raises the music's tempo to match your energy—helping you stay motivated and in rhythm.

This new systematic review andmeta-analysis,publishedinJMIR Human Factors, is the first to examine how interactive, adaptive music can influence both exercise performance and emotional experience. Participants who exercised with adaptive music reported more positive feelings and greater motivation during their workouts—in other words, they enjoyed exercising more.

The findings also show that faster music tempos were linked with greater benefits, supporting the idea that matching music to movement can help sustain effort and improve performance.

"Music has always been a motivator for movement. By personalizing it in real time, we might better support people in sustainingexercise routines," says Dr. Andrew Danso, lead author from the University of Jyväskylä's Center of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain.

The review analyzed results from 18 studies across Europe, Asia, and North America, highlighting the growing potential of adaptive music systems in makingphysical activitymore engaging and sustainable. Conducted by an international team from Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.K., Singapore, India, Belgium, and beyond, the study suggests these technologies could play a key role in encouraging people to stay active—an important step in addressing global health challenges linked to physical inactivity.

More information: Andrew Danso et al, Personalized Interactive Music Systems for Physical Activity and Exercise: Exploratory Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, JMIR Human Factors (2025). DOI: 10.2196/70372

Provided by University of Jyväskylä