I've been searching online and in magazines for suggestions of songs to listen to while I'm running on the treadmill, and thought I'd share with you what I found.
1. Many sources say to "increase the beat", and to listen to faster music... and your feet will follow suit. And, there is a new study (not referenced, unfortunately) that people exercise for up to 15 percent longer.
2. Fitness Magazine has the most varied array of playlists, everything from "The Ultimate Energy Playlist" to "The FITNESS Top 100 Workout Songs".
3. According to Health online, they suggest "choosing music that inspires you to get your feet moving [from Leigh Crews, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise], noting that "upbeat lyrics can lift your mood and bolster your self-esteem".
Crews also suggests matching the speed of music to the pace of your workout, using faster music (140 beats per minute) for running. There are some pre-mixed CDs available for walking (company name can be found at the website above).
4. Do you already have some great music, but not sure which ones have the correct beats per minute (bmp)? There is a program called BeatScanner for your computer that searches your music library for upbeat tunes. There is even a program that you can purchase for your MP3 player that actually adjusts your music to your pace (for a lofty $300!), called Yamaha BodiBeat.
5. You can also go online to you favorite music store (like iTunes), and search under terms like "cardio" or "workout" for a compilation CD of workout tunes, or search using your specific type of workout (run, walk, yoga, pilates...even Zumba is included!).
6. If you already know the beats per minute of some of your most energizing songs, here is are the suggested bmp for runners, walkers and joggers who know their pace (how many minutes it takes you to reach a mile):
16 min/mile: 150bpm (slow jog)
12 min/mile: 156bpm (fast jog/slow run)
10 min/mile: 160 bpm (medium run)
6 min/mile: 171 bpm (high intensity run)
I ran 3 miles on the treadmill today, with some new upbeat (both in tempo and lyrics), and definitely ran longer and harder than my usual, without feeling winded. There is definitely something magical to adding your favorite hardcore tunes to your workout! What are your inspirational or upbeat songs that helps you through your workout?
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I just had an experience with this this morning. I know that I work out better to music, and that I'll work harder and enjoy it more. But this morning on the treadmill I was listening to music and my sister called. I turned off the ipod and talked to her for about 15 minutes while I walked on the treadmill.
When we were finished talking, I hung up the phone and turned the music back on. Even though it was near the end of my workout and I'd been thinking about stopping, the music gave me a whole new burst of energy. My feet moved faster and my brain got right back into it. I know that without it, I'd have stopped.
That's in the gym, though. Alysia, like you, when I ran, I ran without music. There's something so addictive about the rhythm of the trail -- you can finish your run and barely remember doing it because you were in the zone. (Unlike you, however, I've never been good at talking while running. Maybe it's that doing-two-things-at-once thing, LOL.)
March 30, 2009 - 8:31amThis Comment
haha - Diane - sometimes I can't do two things at once, either. But, I can tell how hard I'm running by how hard it is to keep a conversation, LOL!
March 30, 2009 - 7:06pmThis Comment
I love listening to music when I am working out as LOUD as possible too. It is amazing how much more energy I expend just with the RPMs in the air. Thanks for the information.
I did not have my music set up in my workout area for several months and noticed that my body wasn't responding as it normally would without the hit music in the background. Some people say music is bad but I say that music is a great stimulant.
March 28, 2009 - 9:25amThis Comment
I don't often run to tunes, but I do collect them on my iPod - go figure! I'm so used to tuning out the rest of the world and hearing my own rhythm. Plus, because I coach in a running program, I'm often conversing with one of my trainees on the road, or being asked questions, or trying to keep people safe on the road, or just watching the world as I pass by.
I do agree, though, that training with tunes can help your tempo, improve your pace, make you forget the pain and even keep you motivated. The first half marathon I ran was on a freezing morning, I had fractured my ankle a few weeks before and was running all taped up, and I was in pain by mile 10. However, Eric Johnson helped keep me going to the finish.
At the Nike Human Race last summer, many of us were plugged into our iPods, perhaps having downloaded the special playlists made for the race.
At just about every major event I've run in the Austin area, and the Rock N Rolls, there have been musicians along the route to keep us motivated.
Just be careful to not try to push too hard too soon, or try to keep up an unreasonable pace for longer than your body can realistically sustain, or you will set yourself up for injury.
Rock on!
March 27, 2009 - 7:45pmThis Comment