How to Choose the Right Music for Your Workout

Sometimes it's not enough to just tell yourself to keep going; sometimes you need an extra push to get through a run or some other workout. Music—the right music—can be the motivator you need.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• MP3 player or some other type of portable music system you can use easily while working out.
• Access to a library of music, whether it be your own CDs or an online library like iTunes.
• A stopwatch.

1. Consider what kind of workout you expect to try. Will it be a run or a half-hour on the Stairmaster? Or some at-home yoga? It's important to tailor your music to your workout. It may not be helpful to run while listening to sleep-inducing Enya. Likewise, heavy metal may not be the best choice for a soothing workout like yoga.
2. If you're looking to find the right music for your cardio workout, like a strenuous cycling session, here's a good rule of thumb. Any music with between 50 and 90 revolutions per minute will be mid- to high-energy. To calculate RPMs, simply count the number of beats per minute (using your stopwatch) and cut that number in half.
3. It's not necessarily important that you keep the beat while exercising—when running, it's ok to go at whatever pace works for you. But sometimes it can help to regulate your pace and your breathing if you match up your music with the stages of your workout. So start with songs with lower RPMs and build through your workout. Maybe, if you know a hill comes at about minute 32 of your run, you might consider putting a particularly inspiring song on the playlist for that moment.
4. Soundtracks often offer great music for workouts. Movies like "The Bourne Identity" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" have chase songs that build as they go, creating the perfect aural setting for you to pick up speed and intensity.