Crank It up

Turning up the tunes while you exercise pushes you harder, says a new study.

For one test, women listened to their fave workout songs at four different volumes, and when the music was loudest, they could do seven more leg presses than they could at the lowest level of sound.

How it works: Your brain perceives a booming beat as a threat, which releases adrenaline. Adrenaline sends extra glucose to your muscles, giving your body more fuel to go longer during an intense session, explains lead study author Janet McMordie, of the University of Western Ontario.

So pump up the volume of your music, but only for the last few minutes of a hard workout, says McMordie.

You'll get the boost without damaging your hearing.