At Fantasy Healthball, we are big into motivation and inspiration. We love anything that will get you out of that chair and start moving those bones and burning some calories. Today’s suggestion: music! Everybody has their suggested exercise/workout music - from Sweatin’ to NPR to The Biggest Loser and Subway workout mix. The common denominator is usually fast paced music with a driving beat. Think: Night at the Roxbury thumpin’ club music. In reality though, it really just needs to be quick paced music you love. NPR’s offerings include collections named “The Rocky Balboa Metal Montage Workout” and “Bike to the Beat: Songs for the Urban Cyclist” and “Your Body is a Temple: A Gospel Workout Mix.” All sorts of music can work – as long as it inspires you to move your body.
The tempo of the beat is often expressed in BPM or beats per minute. According to the source of all knowledge, Wikipedia, fast is considered to be 120-139 BPM and very fast is 168-200 BPM. There are a bunch of free Itunes podcasts of workout music. Podrunner, for example (on iTunes and on the web), offers free, “non-stop, varied-BPM workout mixes to improve stamina, pace, and conditioning for beginning, intermediate, and experienced runners” (the track times vary based on the distance you plan to run). They also have free, “fixed-BPM exercise music for running, spinning, or any fast paced workout.” The mixes are designed to help you meet your pace goals and maximize your workout.
A few weeks ago, Run Hundred published its annual readers poll for the best workout tracks of the year. The top 5 were:
1. Flo Rida and David Guetta, “Club Can’t Handle Me”
2. Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance” (Starsmith Remix)
3. Ke$ha, “We R Who We R”
4. R.I.O., “After the Love”
5. Pitbull and Akon, “Shut it Down”
You can hear samples at the site. Others in the top 10 were Taio Cruz and Ludacris, Black Eyed Peas, Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup, Shiny Toy Guns, and Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina.
But, again, it is all your own musical taste. I can be inspired on the treadmill by songs like on the above list for awhile, but fairly soon I start craving something that has a guitar in it and drums that are actually struck by a person with a wooden stick instead of simulated thumping. With that said, I offer you five of my favorite workout songs. And these likely won’t show up on ANY “best of” lists!
1. The White Stripes, “Fell in Love with a Girl“ Or any other White Stripes track will do.
2. Rainbow, “Power“ Just listen to the lyrics and you’ll be pumped up and frothing at the mouth in no time.
3. Faith No More, “Be Aggressive“ Driving guitars, steady beat, AND a cheerleader chant – what more can you ask for?
4. Everclear, “Electra Made Me Blind“ Mid-90s crunchy bliss.
5. Ozomatli, “1-2-3-4“ Nobody has more groovin’ beats.
But, whatever, it doesn’t matter what NPR says, Biggest Loser, Subway, Run Hundred, or even my recommendations above. You need to think back to music that makes you smile, that fills you with joy, with inspiration, that reminds you of happy/jumpy times and fires up those blood cells to dance inside you as your body works out and gets stronger, leaner, and healthier. Get exercise ideas here. For more great ideas, check out the book. And, Rock on! — Jim Ballard
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