Not only does a great playlist make working out a lot more fun, it also helps pass the time.
When making a playlist, it’s tempting to put all your favorite songs together. But believe it or not, what makes a great gym playlist is science—and how music can affect your body in general.
“Music is able to increase stimulation because there is a connection between auditory neurons and motor neurons. Therefore, music often makes us more mobile and motivates our body to move,” explained Making Music Mag.
In a 2008 study by Costas Karageorghise, an associate professor of sports psychology at Brunel University in England, he found that song tempos should be between 120 and 140 beats per minute—which is also roughly the heart rate of the average person during exercise.
Here are some suggested playlists from certified personal trainers around the country:
“Music distracts me from what I’m doing at the gym,” Chaniece Tarpley, a certified personal trainer, nutritionist and online coach, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Here are Chaniece’s must-have tracks:
— “Wish” by Kehlani
— “Notice Me” by SZA
— “Tomorrow 2” by Glorilla and Cari B
— “Ass Like That” by Victoria Monet
— “The Players” by Coi Leray
“Texts are important,” said Joy Dossman, a certified personal trainer. “We subliminally feed our minds, whether we realize it or not. So I play clean music.” To be clean, Joy must have:
— “Communion” by Mike Teezy
— “Sleep in!” by Nobigdyl
— “Joyful Noise” by Flame
— “For Father” by Young Bro
“Music is the heart of the whole exercise!” Jules Gomez, personal trainer, nutrition coach and fitness director at Sanctuary Fitness LA, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It also distracts you from the voice in your head telling you to stop.”
Here are Jules’ favorite motivational songs:
— “Sweetest Pie” by Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa
— “Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj
— “Yo Perro Sola” by Bad Bunny
— “Do It Do It” (Tiesto Remix) b ACRAZE, Tiesto and Cherish
— “Level Up” by Ciara
Popular music apps like Apple, Spotify, and Pandora have great workout playlists for those who don’t have the time—or interest—to create a personal playlist.
Spotify’s Beat Mode playlist contains over nine hours of music to get you working out.
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