When most of us go to the gym, we listen to music to pass the time by. It tends to help the burning feeling in our, arms, legs, and thighs hurt a little less and motivate us more. But what happens when you’re in the middle of an intense workout and a song comes on that you don’t like and you have to stop what you’re doing to skip to the next track? If this continues it can be frustrating, as well as disrupting. So why not create a workout playlist with songs that you know you like to exercise with and ones that will embody the workout you’re doing? Here are some songs that I think create the perfect workout playlist and help you achieve the fullest potential of your workout.
The Warm Up
The first step you should take when your exercising is the warm up. This means getting your body ready for the workout to come, or 5-10 minutes of light exercise. This can include some stretching, step-touches, light walking, or a few minutes of light cardio. The warm up isn’t supposed to be too strenuous so pick songs that aren’t too upbeat, but will build up to those songs. Some songs include:
· Levels by Avicii
· Pumped Up Kicks- Skeet Skeet Remix
· Rolling it Right- Defep Remix
The Workout
Now comes the heard part – the actual workout. When you go to the gym, you may head straight to the weights, treadmill, elliptical machine, or just start running. Or if you are an over-achiever, not like me, you may do it all. These exercises are more intense and require a lot of motivation. So choose songs that are fast paced, and when you’re running or cycling you may find yourself working out to the rhythm of the music. Some examples are:
· Take Over Control by Afrojack featuring Eva Simons
· White Noise/Red Meat by Dada Life
· Pon de Floor remix by Major Lazer featuring Vybz Kartel
· In the Dark by Dev
The Cool Down
The cool down allows your body time to recover and allows your heart rate and respiration to slow down. To begin, start slowing down the intensity of your workout, give yourself around 5 minutes to move around, stretch, and drink some well-deserved water. The songs you choose should be ones that start to slow down, your movements working with the pace of the song. Some songs include:
· Bittersweet Symphony remix by Jay Z
· 5 O’Clock by T-Pain featuring Lily Allen and Wiz Khalifa