Here’s a guest post from our friends over at ZingInstruments.com who are almost as obsessed about music and fitness as we are!
Gym clothes on, check. Tennis shoes on and laced, check. Earphones in, check. Awesome playlist ready to pump you up? Not yet! Stuck on music to listen to while getting your sweat on? Read on and find some of the best tracks to add to your playlist today.
You might be asking why you need a playlist for simply hitting the treadmill or running trail. Surely you don’t need music to burn some calories? Well, no, you don’t have to, but it certainly can help. Research on the subject has shown that music can distract from pain and fatigue, and elevate your mood which can increase performance.
Do you need specific music? Some people might like to listen to audiobooks or podcasts while they train. The sound played should be suited to you. The best workouts are completed when the music is to your preference. Not one particular playlist will suit everyone. Play around with the following - add and subtract music that will get your heart rate going.
WHICH PLAYLIST IS RIGHT FOR ME???
Whoa, slow down there. I just said no ONE playlist will suit everyone. Here are a few of my favorites and the reasons why I use them. I can’t promise you will turn into Johnny Bravo or have any significant weight loss, but I can promise you some great songs to give you some motivation for those sweat sessions.
Warm up
I cannot stress enough the importance of warming up your body. It gets the muscles ready, your head in the game, and the blood circulating round. To do this you need the best music, right? Something not too tense or loud.
Personally I like the song Haunted When the Minutes Drag for my warm up stretches and lunges. It’s got a funky beat, some trippy 80’s sounding synth; an overall calming but head bopping song. Or for a more pop loving person, try Hall of Fame; great chorus and lyrics to sing along to.
Get a run in!
All those brave souls going out for runs need rocking tunes to keep them going. A lot of people question whether your playlist should be fast and furious type music. Or should you listen at high volume? Research has shown that people prefer fast tempo music to complement high intensity workouts.
I tend to listen to rap quite often on my runs. They have good lyrics, excellent beats and can often be quite high tempo. Try a bit of Eminem to keep that run going.
Need something fast, heart pumping but without the need to sing? Try a purely instrumental playlist.
Take a Breather
Your gym workout playlist would not be complete without some cool down music. Everyone should take the time to walk, stretch, or meditate after a workout. Always go low tempo, ideally something along the lines of instrumental. My perfect song to get my breathing back to normal is Sia’s Breathe Me.
Get your own playlist
Everyone should create their own playlist before setting off to the gym. Plugging in those earphones should be part of your beginning stretch exercises. Spotify makes it ridiculously easy to create your own playlists. If you’re stuck, there are plenty already made for you. Have a play around and find the best music playlist for your gym workout.