What is your favorite workout music? Does your exercise music ignite your workout or just help you bide your time while you suffer through the session? If you want exercise results, you may want to pay more attention to your tunes. According to new research, exercisers work harder when they select their own workout playlist.
A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that when trained exercisers chose their own music, rather than listening to pre-programmed tunes, they worked out with greater intensity. According to study authors, the research demonstrated that listening to “self-selected music might be beneficial for acute power performance.”
So if you decide not to listen to the overhead music at the gym, where should you find the best workout music? Access to great exercise music has improved over the past few years. Use one of these sites to build your own workout playlist.
- Podrunner: DJ Steve Boyett has been making playlists for runners for years. It’s great steady state cardio music. While you can’t customize each song, you can choose from a library of free playlists.
- Gareth Emery: Download free podcasts from his website onto your iPod or mp3 player. Use this workout music for high energy sessions. My favorites? Numbers 158 and 160.
- Spotify: This app allows you to customize your exercise music by selecting from a library of millions of tunes. Spotify also connects with Facebook and Twitter so that you can share your selections with friends. To use this app, however, you’ll need access to wi-fi.
- Pandora Download this app onto your mobile device to customize your own radio station. While you don’t choose each individual song, Pandora selects songs for your workout playlist based on your preferences. You’ll need wi-fi access for this one, too.
Fans of Gareth Emery can also see him live on Saturday night at Epic. His show starts at 10pm. Get tickets at VitalCulture.com
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