Top Motivating Workout Songs to Get Your Body Moving!

You walk into the gym or pass a runner in the neighborhood and they ALL have headphones in their ears – jamming! Studies show this is what gets us going and keeps us going through the plateau we hit while working out. Skinny Ms. has searched high and low to bring you great motivational workout hits regardless of the exercise your doing! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

Cardio

Cardio workouts are fast-paced, which requires fast-paced music. Typical cardio workouts involve treadmills, elliptical trainers, or stair masters. Of course, your workout music choice is a matter of personal taste. You will obviously include your favorite songs, but the best choices should be anything that gets your heart rate up, and provide you with the motivation to keep going. Choose songs for your cardio workout that has at least 120 to 140 beats per minute.

There are many different songs you can incorporate in your cardio workout with the right beats per minute. Some suggestions that will get your heart pumping and your hips moving are:

Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira (BPM 130)

Fergalicious – Fergie (BPM 144)

I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor (BPM 118)

I Know You Want Me – Pitbull (BPM 140)

So Long Self – Mercy Me (BPM 144)

Weight Lifting

A lot of weight lifters listen to hard rock when lifting. There’s something about the intensity of heavy rock that seems to help weight lifters and body builders pump iron. Hard rock gets the blood pumping, especially music with powerful bass and beat. Some awesome rock songs for an intense weight lifting workout can include:

Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J

Eye of the Tiger – Survivor

Another One Bites the Dust – Queen

Welcome To The Jungle – Guns ‘n’ Roses

Lose Yourself – Eminem

Walking

Walking exercise programs require music with various tempos. Most people change the rate of their walking speed as their heart rate elevates. We tend to work harder without even noticing the extra effort when we have our favorite tunes to listen to. They get us pumped up and keep us from getting exerted as easily!

To start your warm up look for songs that are about 115 -118 beat per minute!

Eye of the Tiger – Survivor (BPM 99)

Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones (BPM 113)

Shampain – Marina and the Diamonds (BPM 118)

Then to really get you going try pushing up to 120-140 beats per minute or more for an intense workout! If you are doing interval training (walking with short bursts of running in between) try alternating your beat per minute back and forth from 115 – 140 to get you pumped up and to slow you down a bit when you need it!

Blow – Ke$ha (BPM 120)

Don’t Stop The Music – Rihanna (BPM 122)

Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses (BPM 155)

Get Back Up – Toby Mac (BPM 120)

Get The Party Started – Pink (BPM 129)

FireWork – Katy Perry (BPM 145)

No Matter What – Kerrie Roberts (BPM 125)

Waka Waka (Official 2010 Fifa World Cup Song) - Shakira (BPM 130)

Beat It – Michael Jackson (BPM 150)

Light Up the Sky – The Afters (BPM 145)

Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson (BPM 160)

Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves (BPM 218)

Now! Time to slow it down! Cooling down tunes should be under 100 beats per minute. These songs will inspire you while helping you finish your workout on a positive note! Here are a few cool down songs we thought you might like!

Dancing Queen – ABBA (BPM 100)

Downtown Train – Rod Stewart (BPM 100)

My Deliverer – Mandisa (BPM 89)