The right music can put you in the mood for anything, from unbridled romance to absolute fury. It can make your heart soar – or sink, and when it comes to exercise, the right music can help you push through barriers and climb the steepest of slopes or push your way through even the most exhausting of Zumba routines.
So, when you’re cramming your MP3 player full of your favourite tunes, be mindful that the music you play while exercising can dramatically affect how well you get through your gym sessions – or if you get through them at all!
“Most people don’t understand the power a well-chosen music list can have on the intensity of their workout,’’ says Brisbane-based Goodlife Health Club trainer Crystal Genero, pictured below.
“When you’re at the gym, or just jogging on the road, take a look at the people around you. You can bet the person bolting past you at 5am on a cold winter’s morning is listening to something with a beat that keeps them on track with whatever pace they want to run at.”
While your favourite music is pleasant to listen to and may help pass the time, inspiring ditties or tunes with a speedy pace are better for you because they provide a guide – even a subconscious one – to how fast (or slow) you should go during exercises.
“There’s something truly powerful about choosing the right music for a workout, because it gives you a burst of energy and an explosion of intensity that allows you to burn holes in that treadmill,” says Crystal who opened up her iPod playlist to share some of the songs that most get her fired up during a workout.”
1) Bounce by Calvin Harris: This song has a fantastic beat and is perfect for high intensity training
2) Won’t Go Quietly by Example: This will get you through even the most boring session on the cross-trainer
3) The Ashton Shuffle by Start Again: I love running along the beach to this song which has a fantastic pace
4) Teenage Spaceman by Booka Shade: If you’re in need for inspiration during a run or bike ride, this is perfect for boosting your endurance
5) Yeah by Boyz Noize: Crank this one up and hit the treadmill for awesome sprint intervals
6) Animal Rights by Deadmau5 and Wolfgang Gartner: Fabulous and feisty, perfect for weightlifting
7) Doing It Right by Afrojack: If you’re into plyometric training, this song is as explosive as the movements you’d use
8) Heartbeats by Grum : Great for power boxing intervals
9) Raindrops by Sash vs Stunt: Fast enough to accompany you during a skipping workout
10) Give Me Everything by Pitbull (feat Ne-Yo): Perfect for pumping along while you’re on the barbell
11) Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO: Just want to shuffle along in the lounge room? This is your track.
12) Dirty Talk by Winter Gordon: Great for performing standing intervals on the upright bike
13) For An Angel 2009 by Paul van Dyk: Tune in and zone out during a heavy endurance workout
14) Need To Feel Loved by Reflekt: Nice and pacey, but slow enough to get you crunching through an abdominal workouts
15) Little Bad Girl by David Guetta (featuring Taio Cruz): Hit the rowing machine, hard and fast
16) Believer by Freemasons (featuring Wynter Gordon): Features an inspiring beat for medicine ball drills
17) Beautiful People by Chris Brown (featuring Benny Benassi): Want to power up steep hills on the bike or treadmill? This is your song!
18) Take Me Away by Four Strings: An oldie but a goodie with a great beat that really does make you feel very, very far away
19) You and I by Medina: A great weight training track to take your mind off the pain
20) Video by India Arie: It’s a little slower than the others, but it’s so motivational and inspiring.
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Goodlife Health Clubs are 100 per cent Australian owned and aim to help “real people” achieve their fitness goals by focussing on a combination of health, nutrition and well being. They have more than 125,000 members and 44 clubs located across the country.
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