This playlist will have you up and running!
Did you know listening to music while running can keep you running longer and possibly faster? Many people today have realized listening to music helps them to achieve longer workouts when the going gets tough!
According to Costas Karageorghis, a sports psychologist at Brunel University in Britain, this is due to the body’s different responses to rhythm. Karageorghis has spent most of his career studying rhythm and music’s effect on exercise, and determined there are four ways music can impact your cardio.
The first goal music should accomplish is a fast paced rhythm that gets your heart and blood pumping. The second way music impacts your cardio is culturally. The music you grew up dancing and listening to gives you those “feel good” memories. Next is association, what a song makes you think of when you hear it, and finally, your personal preference or taste. Accordingly, it is important to pick a playlist that you like, rather than just any music with a fast, catchy beat. Skinny Ms. has put together an upbeat playlist regardless of your taste in music!
Most people start out at a slow, steady pace when running or starting cardio, and continue to increase their stride up to about 180 beats per minute. Studies show when you run to music at the same pace, you can use up to 7% less oxygen, which will allow you to run longer!
Rock Cardio Playlist
Rock songs are typically good for any type of workout because they carry a fast beat and an upbeat rhythm. Rock songs are great for weight lifting and cardio. This playlist covers a short warm-up starting at about 140 bpm’s and then a short run.
1. Summer of ’69
Bryan Adams – 140 BPM Amazon/iTunes
2. Dancing With Myself
Billy Idol – 177 BPM Amazon/iTunes
3. Running Down A Dream
Tom Petty – 170 BPM Amazon/iTunes
4. Monkey Wrench
Foo Fighters – 175 BPM Amazon/iTunes
5. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
The Police – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
6. Right Now
Van Halen – 94 BPM Amazon/iTunes
Did you know listening to music while running can keep your running longer and possibly faster? Many people today have realized listening to music helps them to achieve longer workouts when the going gets tough. According to Costas Karageorghis, a sports psychologist at Brunel University in Britain, this is due to the body’s different responses to rhythm. Karageorghis has spent most of his career studying rhythm and music’s effect on exercise, and determined there are four ways music can impact your cardio.
The first goal music should accomplish is a fast paced rhythm that gets your heart and blood pumping. The second way music impacts your cardio is culturally, the music you grew up dancing and listening to gives you those “feel good” memories. Next is association, what a song makes you think of when you hear it, and finally, your personal preference or taste. Accordingly, It is important to pick a playlist that you like, rather than just any music with a fast, catchy beat. Skinny Ms. has put together an upbeat playlist regardless of your taste in music!
Most people start out at a slow, steady pace when running or starting cardio and continue to increase their stride up to about 180 beats per minute. Studies show when you run to music at the same pace; you can use up to 7% less oxygen, which will allow you to run longer!
Pop Cardio Playlist
Pop music is fast, catchy and great for almost any type of exercise. These songs are fast, fun and sure to get you pumped up for your cardio workout. The first song is a little bit slower to give you time to warm up before you start the fast paced workout.
1. What Goes Around Comes Around
Justin Timberlake – 150 BPM Amazon/iTunes
2. Objection
Shakira – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
3. Bang Bang
K’naan & Adam Levine – 181 BPM Amazon/iTunes
4. Come Undone
Duran Duran – 174 BPM Amazon/iTunes
5. Turning Japanese
The Vapors – 179 BPM Amazon/iTunes
6. Complicated
Avril Lavigne – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
7. One More Time
Daft Punk – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
Hip-Hop Cardio Playlist
Hip-hop and rap include some of the most popular tracks for runners. Studies show most hip-hop is rhythm based, therefore your body will respond very well to it. Even if you aren’t a fan of rap or hip-hop, you should consider running to a few hip-hop beats and see if you notice a difference in your speed and longevity. The following songs range from 160 beats per minute to 180 beats per minute.
1. Flower
Moby – 160 BPM Amazon/iTunes
2. Hey-Ya
Outkast – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
3. ’03 Bonnie & Clyde
Jay Z – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
4. In The Summertime
Shaggy – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
5. Lose Yourself
Eminem – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
6. Irreplaceable
Beyonce – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
7. Gangsters Paradise
Coolio – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
Country Cardio Playlist
Country is without a doubt one of the most underrated workout musical genres! Most of think of sad songs that are not too motivating when we hear country music. But, studies have shown it’s country’s easy, flowing rhythm that makes country one of the best genres to get you running and keep you running at a steady pace. Most country isn’t distracting but provides a very pleasant background melody that will get you moving!
1. Some Girls Do
Sawyer Brown – 140 BPM Amazon/iTunes
2. Born To Boogie
Hank Williams Jr. – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
3. King of the Road
Roger Miller – 122 BPM Amazon/iTunes
4. Look It Up
Ashton Shepherd – 178 BPM Amazon/iTunes
5. Going Through The Big D
Mark Chesnutt – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
6. Our Song
Taylor Swift – 180 BPM Amazon/iTunes
There you have it! A great mix of rock, Hip-hop, rap, and country combined together to give you the maximum workout! This list will get you running and keep you running! Pick out your favorite motivational songs from the list and try listening to a couple new ones that you’ve never heard before, you never know, you may find your new cardio theme song!
What goes well with the perfect running playlist? The perfect running shoes!
Sources: letsrun, running.about.com
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How about some alterntive music? Or how about some eastern Indian music? Or classical? Ok…those are my three suggestions. I don’t know the BPM of my music. That’s really cool that you did this.
We’re glad you like it, Alice. 🙂 We have more workout playlists that feature various types of music. Check them out! https://skinnyms.com/category/fitness/workout-playlists/
Several of the songs in your list are off on their BPM. Gangsta’s Paradise, for example, is only 160BPM. Lose Yourself is only 86, but works well for a 170BPM use (you can double up). Indeed, it is one of my favorite running tunes when running at that cadence. In the Summertime is 174.
It’s a good set of songs (Thank you! Always looking to add to the list!), but, since your readers should want songs that match whatever cadence they run at, I’d suggest using one of the many BPM databases websites and double checking them. Some of these I haven’t ran to (yet), but, I’ve ran to the first two I mention above and can confirm that my running cadence comes out at the numbers I list and that matches the BPM entries I find on the web.