So, how do you incorporate this concept into your physical activity routine?                                                                                                                                                                                         

Staff Picks of Favorite Workout Songs

Metallica - Enter Sandman, 123 bpm

Fun - Some Nights, 108 bpm

Jack Johnson - Wasting Time, 144 bpm

LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends, 143 bpm

Yellowcard - Lights and Sounds, 168 bpm

First off, listen to music before and during your physical activity routine if you can. When selecting workout tunes, the ideal song choices will fall in a range of 125-140 beats per minute (bpm)³. Arrange your playlist so that the ~125 bpm songs are in the beginning as part of your warm-up. Song choices should climb to ~140 bpm at your exercise peak, then come back down to ~125 bpm for a cool down. Just like it benefits us to plan our workout ahead of time, planning a playlist that is set up for sweat success just might turn an OK workout into a GREAT one!

There are several resources to help you pick songs in the target bpm range.  If you are an iPhone user, well, “There’s an app for that!” It’s called Cruise Control.  Researchers from the University of British Columbia developed this app, which will actually pull songs from your phone’s playlist based on its tempo and provide the ultimate playlist to help you hit your target pace or goals. Another resource is jog.fm,  which provides music selections based on your run, walk/wheel, or ride mile time. I’m not going to attempt to please everyone’s musical preferences, so in light of September being Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, here is a kid-friendly playlist that is sure to get them moving during activity times.

Optimal Physical Activity Playlist for Kids

Let's Go - Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo, 128 bpm

I Like to Move it - Will.i.am (Madagascar), 128 bpm

Firework - Katy Perry, 128 bpm

I'm a Believer - Smashmouth (Shrek), 165 bpm

Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland, 168 bpm

Somebody to Love - Justin Bieber, 130 bpm

Live While We're Young - One Direction, 126 bpm

Funkytown Lipps, Inc. - Shrek 2, 122 bpm

When in doubt, KidzBop is a great place to find songs for the kiddos!