Fitness Tip of the Day #10

woman exercising wearing headphones — Music makes exercise more enjoyable and has been proven to benefit overall performance

Fitness Tip of the Day:

Keep your music list current (and between 120 and 140 beats per minute) when you need a workout “boost”!

There’s no denying it! Music is a secret weapon to getting a great workout and making the time in the gym seem to go by a little bit faster. That’s why fitness clubs have music blasting in the background, group fitness classes are choreographed to music, and the majority of club members are wearing white earbuds as “standard uniform” in the cardio area and on the workout floor.

There’s more to music effectiveness than simply choosing music that you enjoy. According to Costas Karageorghis, an associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University in England, there is actually a science to choosing the right music. After studying the effects of music on physical performance for over 20 years, Karageorghis created the Brunel Music Rating Inventory (a survey used to rate the motivational qualities of music as it relates to sport and exercise). Based on the information from these surveys, one of the most important elements is the tempo of the song, which should be between 120 and 140 beats per minute (bpm).

This tempo range coincides with most commercial dance and rock music. Examples include:

Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson) – 118 bpm
Blurred Lines (Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell) – 120 bpm
Buddy Holly (Weezer) – 121 bpm
Moves Like Jagger (Maroon 5) – 128 bpm
Push It (Salt-N-Pepa) – 128 bpm
Club Can’t Handle Me (Flo Rida) – 128 bpm
Escape Me (Tiesto & C.C. Sheffield) – 129 bpm
Sexy and I Know It (LMFAO) – 130 bpm
Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People) – 130 bpm
Ass Back Home (Gym Class Heroes) – 130 bpm
Walk (Foo Fighters) – 138 bpm
Bleed It Out (Linkin Park) – 140 bpm
She Sells Sanctuary (The Cult) – 140 bpm
Closer to the Edge (30 Seconds to Mars) – 140 bpm

Regardless of how amazing the playlist is on your smartphone, iPod, or MP3 player, it’s inevitable that you’ll get tired of listening to the same tunes over and over again. Before you check out the latest “top 10 list” on iTunes or cue up a list from Songza or Pandora, it is recommended that you find music with a tempo range of 120 to 140 beats per minute for better performance and long term results (science proves it).

Websites to Find Music by Tempo

Now that you know workout music using the right “beats per minute” can make you exercise harder, or put you in a better mood and motivate you to exercise, where can you find music listed by tempo?