Some people love the zen of running without music. It gets them in tune with their bodies and their surroundings. I am SO not one of those people. I can barely walk to the end of my driveway without music! Our generation has come to expect accessibility and mobility of music, and fortunately for all of us, gone are the days of running while carrying a Walkman (please tell me I wasn't the only person who did that). In addition to staving off boredom, the right song can help you find that extra motivation when you're getting tired, and it can even help you work out more efficiently.
Research has shown that the optimal turnover rate for runners is 180 foot strikes per minute (see this article). So, listening to music that is at (or near) 180 bpm is effectively like having a metronome in your ear (and is slightly less annoying). A simple Google search can provide a list of songs that are around 170-180 bpm, but a couple from my personal library are:
"Basketcase" - Green Day
"My Friends Over You" - New Found Glory
"A Praise Chorus" - Jimmy Eat World
"Livin La Vida Loca" - Ricky Martin (shut up)
"Monkey Wrench" - Foo Fighters
To add a little more flexibility, remember that a song at 90 bpm will also provide this same pacing - you will just have 2 foot strikes per beat instead of 1 (trust me, I have a math degree). Some songs at 90 bpm are:
"Proud Mary" - Ike & Tina Turner
"What'd I Say" - Ray Charles
"(There's Got to Be) More to Life" - Stacie Orrico
"Scars" - Papa Roach
"All the Things She Said" - Tatu
"Behind Hazel Eyes" - Kelly Clarkson
"Fat Bottomed Girls" - Queen
If you find 180 bpm a little fast for your running gait, see the article linked above for instructions on how to calculate your current rate, or simply find a song that seems to fit perfectly and then go find songs in a similar range (or slightly faster if you're working on increasing your turnover rate).
Of course, music is important for workouts other than running. Classes like BodyPump are so popular because they put strength training to great music. The bpm used in BodyPump varies but is usually in the 130-150 neighborhood. Songs in that bpm range can be helpful for keeping you on track when you're lethargic during strength training, circuits, abs, or any other workout. With any exercise, form is key. It will help you get the best results, and it will keep you from getting injured. Different lifts require different rates, so it's important to remember not to get so caught up in the pace of your music that it starts to affect the way you're performing the exercise.
Regardless of bpm, we all have those songs that always get us fired up. It might be a song from a movie (hello, Rocky!) or a song that reminds you of a certain event. Those may be different for everyone, but I really like "Headstrong" by Trapt and "World's Greatest" by R. Kelly for these purposes. Finally, we need to round out our playlist with songs that we just plain like. They may not have a certain bpm or be particularly inspiring, but they do pass the time. That will likely be a good portion of your playlist.
Once you have some songs in mind, it's also important to make sure your playlist stays fresh. Especially if you're listening to it every day, those songs (no matter how great they are) will get old...fast. There are a few things I've done to help alleviate this. First, I've simply created a massive music library that will last me about 6 hours. So, even though I listen to it every day, my songs don't repeat that often. Second, I found some great free software called Audacity that lets you play DJ and mix music. It did take a little while to learn, but I've taken snippets of songs and mashed them into 15-20 minute mixes that keep me entertained. Now if all this sounds time-consuming, another option is to use Pandora. You use the ability to filter by bpm, but you can at least get songs in a general genre that will be different every time you listen. Yes, mine is based on Britney Spears, but you can pick an artist or even a song that you like, and the mobile app is free! Other web-based applications like Grooveshark do allow you to build your own playlist, but its mobile app is not free (although it is pretty cheap). The biggest problem with any internet app is that you shouldn't use it if you don't have unlimited data plans, and you will likely have to deal with delays and buffers. I had Pandora shut down mid-way through a long run. I had 5 miles to find that "zen" that our silent runners experience, but all I can say after that experience is, Bring on the Britney!
I'm always looking for recommendations for new songs to add, so if you have some songs that really amp you up, I'd love to know what they are!
Research has shown that the optimal turnover rate for runners is 180 foot strikes per minute (see this article). So, listening to music that is at (or near) 180 bpm is effectively like having a metronome in your ear (and is slightly less annoying). A simple Google search can provide a list of songs that are around 170-180 bpm, but a couple from my personal library are:
"Basketcase" - Green Day
"My Friends Over You" - New Found Glory
"A Praise Chorus" - Jimmy Eat World
"Livin La Vida Loca" - Ricky Martin (shut up)
"Monkey Wrench" - Foo Fighters
To add a little more flexibility, remember that a song at 90 bpm will also provide this same pacing - you will just have 2 foot strikes per beat instead of 1 (trust me, I have a math degree). Some songs at 90 bpm are:
"Proud Mary" - Ike & Tina Turner
"What'd I Say" - Ray Charles
"(There's Got to Be) More to Life" - Stacie Orrico
"Scars" - Papa Roach
"All the Things She Said" - Tatu
"Behind Hazel Eyes" - Kelly Clarkson
"Fat Bottomed Girls" - Queen
If you find 180 bpm a little fast for your running gait, see the article linked above for instructions on how to calculate your current rate, or simply find a song that seems to fit perfectly and then go find songs in a similar range (or slightly faster if you're working on increasing your turnover rate).
Of course, music is important for workouts other than running. Classes like BodyPump are so popular because they put strength training to great music. The bpm used in BodyPump varies but is usually in the 130-150 neighborhood. Songs in that bpm range can be helpful for keeping you on track when you're lethargic during strength training, circuits, abs, or any other workout. With any exercise, form is key. It will help you get the best results, and it will keep you from getting injured. Different lifts require different rates, so it's important to remember not to get so caught up in the pace of your music that it starts to affect the way you're performing the exercise.
Regardless of bpm, we all have those songs that always get us fired up. It might be a song from a movie (hello, Rocky!) or a song that reminds you of a certain event. Those may be different for everyone, but I really like "Headstrong" by Trapt and "World's Greatest" by R. Kelly for these purposes. Finally, we need to round out our playlist with songs that we just plain like. They may not have a certain bpm or be particularly inspiring, but they do pass the time. That will likely be a good portion of your playlist.
Once you have some songs in mind, it's also important to make sure your playlist stays fresh. Especially if you're listening to it every day, those songs (no matter how great they are) will get old...fast. There are a few things I've done to help alleviate this. First, I've simply created a massive music library that will last me about 6 hours. So, even though I listen to it every day, my songs don't repeat that often. Second, I found some great free software called Audacity that lets you play DJ and mix music. It did take a little while to learn, but I've taken snippets of songs and mashed them into 15-20 minute mixes that keep me entertained. Now if all this sounds time-consuming, another option is to use Pandora. You use the ability to filter by bpm, but you can at least get songs in a general genre that will be different every time you listen. Yes, mine is based on Britney Spears, but you can pick an artist or even a song that you like, and the mobile app is free! Other web-based applications like Grooveshark do allow you to build your own playlist, but its mobile app is not free (although it is pretty cheap). The biggest problem with any internet app is that you shouldn't use it if you don't have unlimited data plans, and you will likely have to deal with delays and buffers. I had Pandora shut down mid-way through a long run. I had 5 miles to find that "zen" that our silent runners experience, but all I can say after that experience is, Bring on the Britney!
I'm always looking for recommendations for new songs to add, so if you have some songs that really amp you up, I'd love to know what they are!
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