Your heart is pumping, body sweating, and you feel like giving up. Suddenly, a surge of energy courses through you and wills your body to the finish line.
How is this possible? Where did the energy come from? Well dear reader, it’s time for you to put on some headphones and start listening to some music!
Motivational Tool
Providing huge motivational power, studies show that music is one of the best motivators for your workouts. When listening, your body may involuntarily synchronise with the music by linking up the timing of your reps,and keeping pace with your movement. Subconsciously optimizing your workout, this can prove beneficial as it allows you to better manage your energy exertion.
Studies Done
In fact, one study shows that when cycling, synchronizing with your music can lead to a 7% lower oxygen usage compared to cycling with no music or not synchronizing with the beat of your music, otherwise known as asynchronization.
Still not convinced? On top of decreasing oxygen usage, listening to music can actually make you workout harder. Studies show that people that listened to upbeat music while performing a cycling exercise, not only worked out harder, but had a higher level of motivation and enjoyed their workout more.
Selecting Your Songs
And before you race out to create your next playlist- there are some things you need to think about.
- Think of what exercise you will be performing.
- Try to match songs that have a beat that coincides with the pace you will be performing your reps. Having an off tempo beat can throw off your rhythm.
- Listen to music that motivates you. Sounds simple enough, but if you don’t LOVE a particular song, move on and find one that you do.
That being said, we do have some recommendations for songs to listen to while working out. Here are our top 10 songs to exercise to:
- Gonna Fly Now (Rocky Theme) – Bill Conti
- All of Me (Tiësto’s Birthday Treatment Mix) – John Legend
- All Night – Icona Pop
- Summer – Calvin Harris
- Berzerk – Eminem
- Titanium (feat. Sia) – David Guetta
- Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
- Holy Grail – JAY Z, Justin Timberlake
- Where Have You Been – Rihanna
- Watch Out For This – Major Lazer
Training Station Gym
So what is the best music to listen to when you workout? Well it is really up to you! Every person has different tastes in music and this can affect your mood and workout performance. We’ve given you some of our favorites?
Now what are yours??
