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By GABRIELLA BOSTON You're bundling up for a chilly morning run. Or about to climb on the ellipti- cal for a high-energy work- out. Or warming up before a weightlifting session. What's the first thing you reach for? Your earbuds, naturally. Studies have shown that listening to music that fits the cadence of what you're doing — running, cycling, aerobics — makes you work harder. "The metronome aspect, the synchronization of movement to music, is the most important," says Carl Foster, director of theHu- man Performance Laborato- ry at the University of Wis- consin at Lacrosse. The idea of synchroniz- ing movement to a beat is nothing new, he points out: In Roman galleys, the drumbeat drove the pace of the rowers. "But there is also the distraction and arousal that music brings," Foster says. They both mat- ter, but it's unclear how much. "There's definitely more buried in music that affects us. But we don't know exactly how to tease it out." *** So, how to pick the "right" music? If you want to make a workout mix based on tempo — or BPM, for beats per minute — various Web sites, including songbpm.com, can help you determine the tempo of your favorite music to see whether it fits your intended activity. Or you can go to sites such as motiontraxx.com that offer playlists at a certain BPM for running and cycling as well as other activities. Other sites include work- outmusic.com and power- music.com. "Music is positive ener- gy," says Deekron "the Fit- ness DJ" Krikorian, who produces fitness playlists for MotionTraxx. "So when I put together playlists, I look for intensity, positive feeling and cohesiveness." If he finds a song that feels right in terms of mood and intensity but has the wrong tempo, he might manipulate the BPM to fit the type of exercise intend- ed. "The beat becomes very important anytime there is repetitive movement," Krikorian says. "Our instincts tell us to move to the beat. Our feet tell us to move to the beat." The ideal cadence for running is a hotly debated topic in the running world, and variations in stride length mean finding your ideal tempo could take a bit of experimentation. Some sources say an eight-minute mile corresponds with a BPM of 170; others go up to 200. Some suggest the ideal running cadence is in the 170s to 180s. And some studies show that faster may be better for injury preven- tion. If that sounds like too much work, try a group fit- ness class; cycling, step and aerobics instructors have been leveraging the power of the beat for years. Ingrid Nelson, a cycling instructor who packs her tempo-driven classes at Washington's Biker Barre, says intensity, style and cadence are all important when putting together her playlists. "I like a lot of '90s hip- hop and usually stay in the range of 95 to 105 BPM," Nelson says, aligning the beat to the cyclers' revolu- tions per minute. But she might go as low as 80 or as high as 120 BPM for hills and sprints, respectively. When drills are aligned with the beat, she says, partici- pants "connect with music" and "relax into the pulse." As for other fitness activ- ities such as step aerobics, the tempo hovers around 130 BPM, says Harold Sanco, group fitness direc- tor and instructor at Results gym in Washington. "You have to pick music that is both safe and effective," he says. "If you are going too fast, you risk injury and you're not working out effectively because you are not getting the full range of motion." But Sanco says music is important beyond tempo and genre; it also helps put participants in a lighter mood. "Music can make people happy no matter what their day has been like," he says. "It entertains and educates." Boston is a fitness trainer and freelance writer. She can be found at gabriella- boston.com. Seniors enrolled in Aetna's Medicare Advan- tage plan In Baltimore County, Md., saw their monthly premiums rise from $33 to $51 this year. Enrollees in HealthNow New York, a Medicare HMO in upstate Erie Coun- ty, saw their premiums jump from zero to $28 a month. Those in UnitedHealth- care's plan in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, pay $15 more to see a specialist this year, bringing their total co-pay to $45. The health insurance industry points to these examples as some of the more extreme cases of bene- ficiaries feeling the sting of federal funding cuts to Medicare Advantage plans that cover nearly 16 million senior citizens. They say the Obama administration's additional proposed 1.9 per- cent in cuts to the plans for 2015, which was announced Friday, will mean millions more will see reductions in benefits and higher out-of- pocket costs. But health policy experts and advocates for seniors say most Medicare health plans have largely kept costs and benefits stable and believe the industry is scar- ing seniors unnecessarily. Is The Sky Falling? Medicare Advantage cuts include the Obama Administration's proposal of a 1.9% cut in Medicare Advantage payments and the impact of cuts on seniors is sharply disputed. "We have really overall had a rather calm year so the 'sky is falling' predictions from the health insurance industry did not come true," said Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a consumer advocacy group. The announcement of the government's proposed reimbursements for the pri- vate Medicare plans, which now cover a third of all Medicare beneficiaries, has become an annual battle since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which gradually reduces subsidies paid to Medicare Advantage plans to bring them into line with the cost of traditional Medicare. Last year, for instance, the administration initially proposed cuts of 2.2 percent for 2014. After a campaign by insurers that included paid advertising and letters from scores of lawmakers, the government reversed course and increased the rate 3.3 percent. Health plans say those stated rates are misleading, however, because they don't tell the full story. They argue that when other factors are taken into account, such as Medicare cuts made as a result of budget sequestra- tion and the health law's tax on health insurance premi- ums and reduction in subsi- dies, Medicare Advantage plans actually saw more than a 6 percent cut this year. And, they say there will be even higher cuts next year if the administration's pro- posed rate is adopted. ''Another round of pay- ment cuts would be devas- tating to … seniors and peo- ple with disabilities that have chosen to enroll in Medicare Advantage for the better benefits and higher quality coverage these plans provide," said Karen Ignag- ni, CEO of the trade group, America's Health Insurance Plans. Despite similar predic- tions last year, enrollment is still rising overall in the pri- vate plans—up nearly 9 per- cent this year. Geography Matters And in many parts of the country, such as South Flori- da and New York, seniors can still choose health plans with no monthly premiums. A growing number of Medicare beneficiaries have chosen to enroll in Advan- tage plans, often to reduce their out-of-pocket spending as traditional Medicare gen- erally covers only 80 percent of the cost of most doctor and outpatient care. In addi- tion, the plans often offer extra benefits, such as hear- ing aids or gym member- ships, which are not avail- able in traditional Medicare. The flip side is that bene- ficiaries must seek care from physicians, hospitals and other providers that contract with those plans to be in their networks. Traditional fee-for-service allows bene- ficiaries to visit any doctor or provider that accepts Medicare. Over the next few years, the health law will continue to reduce payments to Medicare Advantage plans until they are in line with the cost of traditional Medicare. Independent advisors to Congress have said that seniors in traditional Medicare are subsidizing the higher costs of those in private plans. These payment cuts are also helping to fund expand- ing coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, under the Affordable Care Act. The savings are part of the way to balance the books, to help pay for subsidies to people buying plans on the health insurance exchanges. David Lipschutz, policy attorney with the Center for Medicare Advocacy, said Medicare costs have been rising at their lowest levels in decades and Medicare Advantage plans "should not be insulated from those forces." You Better Shop Around Consumer advocates say Medicare Advantage works only if seniors shop for a new plan each year because the plans change so often. But too often, seniors stay with same plan which leads them to pay more than they need to. Bill Daniels, coordinator of insurance at the Erie County Department of Senior Services, said the costs and benefits change each year, though most seniors choose the plans with zero premiums. Of insurers' predictions that things will worsen next year, he said: "Seniors can still choose from zero premium plans and new plans are entering the mar- ket." Health plans don't dis- close how much money they make from marketing Medicare Advantage plans. Overall, United Healthcare made a $10 billion profit last year on $122 billion in rev- enues. Company officials say Medicare is only one part of its business. Still, Kim Reyes, who counsels seniors in Greenville, S.C. for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program says seniors are hyper-vigilant about any changes in their costs or benefits. "Some folks count every penny," she said. 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How to pick the right music for your workout