How To Create The Perfect Workout Playlist

I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at least once. You get to the gym and realize your headphones were left at home and so you struggle through a silent workout. If so, you know how important listening to music is when it comes to physical exercise. The right workout playlist will help boost your performance, and make your gym time even more productive. 

Many studies have been done over the course of 25 years by leading expert Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D. He is a sports psychology professor at Brunel University London and one of the leading experts on the relationship between music and athletic performance.  Dr. Karageorghis found that listening to music reduces your perception of how hard you work out by 10%. This means that while listening to music you’ll train longer and harder than you actually think you are.

Creating a good playlist is a bit more involved than simply hitting shuffle on your music player (iPod, iPhone…whatever). Below I’m sharing some tips you can keep in mind when creating your own perfect workout playlist.

How To Create The Perfect Workout Playlist

Pace

The speed at which your exercise should dictate the songs on your playlist. Your workout pace should match the BPM (beats per minute) of the song you’re listening to. Some apps like iTunes will sort songs from your own library according to BPM. This is a super convenient way to pull songs that are at the right speed for each part of your playlist.

Mood

Select music that matches the mood and the energy you want to have while training. Slow love songs whether happy or sad aren’t the best choice for setting a high-energy mood. What counts as upbeat and motivational music can vary from person to person, but the criteria for a scientifically sound workout song is more specific. For a song to be properly motivating it needs to have strong rhythmic qualities that match the activity at hand. It also needs to have a tempo greater than 120 BPM. Don’t discount the power of inspirational lyrics either. An upbeat song that has special meaning to you can really help power you through a tough workout. Or even motivate you to start a workout on days when you’re just not feeling up to it.

Structure

Structure your playlist around your workout. You wouldn’t typically start a training session at an all-out sprint. An analogy that I like and that paints the perfect picture is to structure your playlist like a flight. You take off gradually gaining speed. It reaches peak speed and stays up there for a while. And then finally, slowly comes back down again.

Listening to some upbeat, feel-good music, while warming up and slowly raising your heart rate helps get your mind and body ready to train.

If you’re going to do cardio first, start adding in songs with a higher BPM. The songs can gradually get faster but try to avoid abrupt changes in music style or speed. Listening to music that is a little faster than your normal pace can actually help you speed up without really noticing.

Musical genres like hip-hop are good for keeping a slower steady beat that’s optimal for weightlifting. You still want your music choice to be energetic and uplifting though. Look for songs that fall in the 120-140 BPM range which is considered to be a rhythmic “sweet spot”.

Finish up your workout and your playlist with some slower more mellow songs. This will help your heart rate come down, your body unwinds,s and leave you with a feeling of compilation.

Safety

Lastly just a quick word on safety. While good music can help distract us from how long or how hard we’re exercising, don’t let it distract you from your surroundings. Always be aware of your environment and be sure you can hear people and cars. Always keep safety first!

Xx Monti