Rock Your Workout with the Right Jams

Spring has sprung and if you weren’t already hitting the outdoors for your workout, now’s a good time to start! Ditch the treadmill and head out for some rejuvenating fresh air and vitamin D. And when you do, think about how the tunes in your ears power your body, allowing for max impact from your workouts.

The use of music to enhance exercise is nothing new. History dates it back to B.C. times when rowers used it to add energy to their rowing work on the Roman galley ships, because even then it was understood that if provided, people would follow a tempo. Fast forward and Olympic athletes sit, earphones in, using music to create the right energy and mindset before they perform. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or have a daily running habit, the right beat can help you perform your best.

Whatever your preferred genre, when you’re creating your next playlist, try adding some of these all-time and new favorites to the mix:

Old School Rock

There’s no denying the excitement and energy these timeless anthems deliver.

1. Welcome to the Jungle: Guns N’ Roses
2. Smells Like Teen Spirit: Nirvana
3. Enter Sandman: Metallica
4. Eye of the Tiger: Survivor
5. We Will Rock You: Queen
6. Piece of My Heart: Janis Joplin
7. Black Dog: Led Zepplin
8. Back in Black: AC/DC
9. Get Up Offa That Thing: James Brown

Rap Lovers

Workouts need motivation and for many, rap does the trick.

1. So What’Cha Want: Beastie Boys
2. The Spiteful Chant: Kendrick Lamar
3. Can I Get A…: Jay Z
4. Lose Yourself: Eminem
5. Fight Music: D12
6. Boyz-in-the-Hood: Easy-E
7. Seen It All: Jeezy
8. Tambourine: Eve
9. Mercy: Kanye West
10. Notorious Thugs: Notorious B.I.G.
11. Rosa Parks: Outkast

Hip Hop & Pop

Who can resist the sing-along, emotion soaring fun of songs like these?

1. Problem: Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea
2. Can’t Hold Us: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
3. Timber: Pitbull & Keesha
4. Love More: Chris Brown
5. Birthday: Katy Perry
6. Run the World: Beyoncé
7. We Came Running: Youngblood Hawkie
8. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Daft Punk
9. Burn: Ellie Goulding
10. Feeling Myself: will.i.am

Classical, yes classical!

Looking for something different? Give classical a try. It may be just what you need to re-energize your daily routine.

1. Lord Melbourne (War Song): Percy Grainger
2. Czarda, Swan Lake: Tchaikovsky
3. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, First Movement: Mozart
4. Mars: Holst
5. The Hut on Fowl's Legs (Baba-Yaga): Modest Mussorgsky
6. Radetzky Marsch: Strauss
7. Im Feuerstrom der Reben (from Die Fledermaus): Fledermaus
8. Carmen, Prelude to Act 1: Bizet
9. Sabre Dance: Khachaturian
10. In the Hall of the Mountain King: Grieg 

References:

http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/how-music-can-enhance-your-workout.link opens in a new window
http://www.leanitup.com/run-run-run-40-best-running-songs-power-marathon-cardio-session-music/.link opens in a new window
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/music/popular-playlists/100-best-workout-songs/.link opens in a new window
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/features/edge/25-greatest-power-songs-all-time?page=3.link opens in a new window
http://www.cmuse.org/ten-classical-pieces-to-make-the-most-of-your-workout/.link opens in a new window
http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2014/02/21/classical-music-workout-playlist.link opens in a new window

This blog post is intended for educative and entertainment purposes only. It should not be construed as a solicitation.