If you’re like us, the perfect workout music can motivate you and keep you going during a sweat session. And it’s not just your imagination – there’s plenty of science to back this up and plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that great music makes any workout better.
The key is to find the right workout music to keep you motivated and crushing your goals. In this blog, we’ll share a few of our favorite Spotify and Pandora workout stations and playlists. Don’t worry, you can find more playlists for any music you want from dance, to country, and rap.
Why Listen to Music During Your Workout?
Why does music play such a significant role in your workouts? Here are a few of the top benefits of listening to music during workouts:
- Distraction. Some experts believe that music acts as a distractor to the brain, which helps moderate pain levels and keeps your mind on something besides the intensity of your workout.
- Less Boredom. Long workouts can get boring sometimes. Fortunately, listening to music while exercising can help relieve that boredom and give you something to think about and focus on during each phase of the activity.
- Better Mood. Did you know that music can create feelings of pleasure or displeasure, which lead to changes in behavior? In a workout setting, music can even stimulate the release of serotonin, which improves your mood and helps you enjoy your workout more.
- Enhanced Physical Performance. Several studies have shown fast-paced, high-energy music improves athletic performance during moderate-level exercise. With this in mind, listening to music is an easy hack to enhance your performance, push yourself further, and increase your work capacity.
10 Top Music Playlists to Listen to During Your Workout
Regardless of whether you’re going for a run or hitting the weights, these playlists will keep you motivated and excited:
1. Beast Mode – Spotify
Perfect for your sweatiest, most intense workouts, Beast Mode is our go-to playlist whenever we need some extra motivation. This high-energy playlist includes favorites from names like Amerie, Snoop Dogg, Jacka, and more, which will keep the energy high throughout your workout. When it’s time for a cool-down, this playlist also mellows out a bit, creating the perfect come-down from your workout.
2. HIIT Workout – Spotify
HIIT workouts can be tough, and many people need help to stay motivated during the workout. Fortunately, this HIIT Workout playlist can help. The 2-hour playlist features favorites from The Chainsmokers, The Weekend, Calvin Harris, and much more.
3. Marathon Motivation – Spotify
Heading out on a long run and looking for something to keep you company? This Marathon Motivation playlist is our go-to for cardio days. This playlist includes hits from Macklemore, Elton John, Gorillaz, Taylor Swift, Queen, and Beyonce, among others. The total playlist is 3 hours and 15 minutes long, so it’s plenty of content to support even your longest workouts.
4. Yoga Acoustics – Spotify
Looking for something a little more laid-back to guide you through a yoga flow or a restorative stretch session? The Yoga Acoustics playlist is a great option. Featuring 50 songs and a duration of about 3 hours, this playlist is calming, intentional, and meditative. In fact, we like it just as much as an evening wind–down as we do for a workout playlist.
5. New Wave Rap – Spotify
Need the motivation to push yourself just a bit harder? Let Cardi B, Gucci Mane, and Lil Nas help via the New Wave Rap playlist. Featuring 61 songs and lasting 3 hours total, this is an excellent playlist for anyone who wants to go hard in the gym or even feel a little extra motivated during their daily commute.
6. Gold School – Spotify
Throw it back to the golden days of music with the bangers on this Gold School Spotify playlist. Get sweaty to Salt-N-Pepa’s Shoop or classic Ice Cube. No matter what you’re into, this playlist will keep your endorphins high and your confidence higher.
7. EDM Workout Pump-Up
Need that extra little push to get in those last reps? Or just trying to beat your personal best? Whatever your interest, the EDM playlist gives you serious energy to crush your workout. You’ll never hear a song twice during a workout! This playlist has 301 songs and lasts for 17 hours.
8. Run This Town – Spotify
For all the cardio lovers out there, this one’s for you. The Run This Town playlist is specifically designed for a 150-165 BPM workout. Whether you’re hitting the pavement or running drills on the treadmill, Drake, Usher, T.I., Rhianna, and more will keep you company in this jam-packed, high-energy playlist that’s sure to get the blood pumping.
9. The Cool Down – Spotify
When you’ve completed your workout, turn to this Cool Down playlist for 5 hours of soft, relaxing music to help you recover, get stretchy, and prevent injury. If your cool-down doesn’t take quite this long, we recommend leaving this playlist on as an evening wind-down at home or using it as morning music to get your day off to a great start.
10. Classic Rock Power Workout – Pandora
While most of the other playlists in this blog are from Spotify, this one comes from Pandora. The Classic Rock Power Workout playlist features all sorts of classic bangers from names like Guns N’ Roses, Survivor, Journey, and AC/DC, among others.
Your Workout, Made Better
You’ve got your favorite workouts and trainers on lock. Now it’s time to find the perfect music playlists to pump things up even further. The ten playlists in this blog will help you pump up, push harder, cool down, or get in the mood to try something new. Have a friend you love to work out with? Share the playlist love to help your gym buddy enjoy their best workout yet!
