We all know how beneficial exercise is. Not only does it make our minds sharper and quicker, it has a direct relationship to our performance at work.
Music is a great motivator and one of the best ways to get pumped before/during a workout.
Without a great playlist, a session of calorie burning can become boring, so an awesome selection of songs is a must.
However, simply choosing songs you like at random is not always the best experience. Thankfully, scientists have created the perfect playlist for keeping your mind and body zoned in during a workout.
Designed by a leading UK sports psychologist, Dr. Costos Karageorghis, the playlist in question is a result of some long-running research concerning the effects music has on the mind and body.
Sponsored by Spotify, Dr. Karageorghis was able to analyze over 6 million songs closely that were included on playlists with the tag “workout.”
This allowed his team to select potential candidates for this ultimate playlist by not only popularity, but also using beats-per-minutes, rhythmic qualities, lyrical content, and other undisclosed scientific principles concerning performance and motivation.
Speaking on the playlist, Dr. Karageorghis stated, “Music helps to induce alpha brain wave activity which is responsible for our dreams and rest states,” Dr Karageorghis said. “This leads to a state known as ‘flow,’ which is an ultimate motivational state in which sportspeople are completely immersed in what they are doing and feel as if they are functioning on autopilot.” Additionally, the professional insisted, “Music lowers your perception of effort. It can trick your mind into feeling less tired during a workout and also encourage positive thoughts.”
The playlist is broken into multiple “workout sections” which is useful, to either structure your workout as per the playlist, or borrow a few songs and make a playlist of your own. Check it out here and have a look at the songs included below:
Mental Preparation
Roar by Katy Perry – 92 bpm
Stretching
Talk Dirty by Jason Derulo ft 2 Chainz – 100 bpm
Skip To The Good Bit by Rizzle Kicks – 105 bpm
Aerobic warm-up
Get Lucky by Daft Punk ft Pharrel Williams – 116 bpm
Move by Little Mix – 120 bpm
Cardio training
Need U 100% by Duke Dumont ft A*M*E – 124 bpm
You Make Me by Avicii – 125 bpm
Feel My Rhythm by Viralites – 128 bpm
Timber by Pitbull ft Ke$ha –130 bpm
Applause by Lady Gaga – 140 bpm
Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft Ray Dalton – 147 bpm
Happy by Pharrell Williams – 160 bpm
Strength training
The Monster by Eminem ft Rihanna – 110 bpm
Love Me Again by John Newman – 126 bpm
Get Down by Groove Armada ft Stush and Red Rat –127 bpm
#thatPOWER by will.i.am ft Justin Bieber – 128 bpm
It’s My Party by Jesse J – 130 bpm
Play Hard by David Guetta ft. Ne-Yo and Akon – 130 bpm
Cool-down
Burn by Ellie Goulding – 116 bpm
Royals by Lorde – 85 bpm
