One day cold afternoon last winter, I was running my routine 3.8 mile loop and just stopped. I was bored. I was tired. I was also kinda sad. I had a personal issue going on and really was not in the mood to power through a workout. I glanced down at my iPhone and began browsing iTunes. I wasn’t sure if I was looking for a song to cry with, a song to cheer me up or a song to get me angry and fired up. Running is my therapy but this day I needed a therapist to sing to me.
I opted to download the new Adele album. Quickly I thought to myself, “How crazy is it that with a touch of my finger I can download an entire new album on a bridge in the middle of my run?”
As soon I started hearing the bellowing voice of Adele, the oomph in my stride returned. I finished my cathartic run with a proud sense of achievement. Regardless of how I was feeling before I started, I accomplished what I set out to do and had regained control over my thoughts. Yes, the album is depressing but that is how I felt. Her angry words energized my legs and assured me, this feeling too shall pass.
Music is my savior when it comes to working out. I cannot run without it. Studies have shown that it helps people workout harder and longer. The beats per minute help keep your speed up your pace as well. To stay motivated, I am constantly updating my playlist. I use Pandora and I Heart Radio often, but when you are in a mood like I was last winter, you need control over what you hear.
If I lack motivation to go to the gym, I put on my headphones and start listening to my latest workout playlist. In no time, I’m ready to go move around. Here is my most recent Top 10 playlist:
- Rihanna, We Found Love In a Hopeless Place
- Florence And The Machine, Dog Days Are Over
- Flo Rida, Good Feeling
- No Doubt, Sunday Morning
- David Guetta & Nicki Minaj, Turn Me On
- Duck Sauce, Barbara Streisand
- Ellie Goulding, Lights
- The Pretty Rechless, Make Me Wanna Die
- Morningwood, Jetsetter
- Katy Perry, Use Your Love
I like to mix up old favorites with new songs, that way if the radio overplays these songs I won’t hate the entire thing but just half 🙂 Jetsetter has been on my list for over 5 years and it doesn’t get old. It’s also my power song on Nike+. What are some of your favorite not currently popular songs?
