The Word on Weightloss

Some people train for competition or an event like a 10K or a marathon better when they can concentrate and listen to their bodies. For others, working out is a meditation and they don’t need to distract their minds with outside stimulus - like TVs or music. For many of us, exercise can be more fun and motivating when we listen to an interesting podcast or groove to music favorites.

Whether you’re doing a strength training work out or some kind of cardio workout, grooving to moderate-to-fast music beats can help rev you up, boost your energy and keep you moving when you feel like stopping.

MP3s, iPods and other listening devices have become so common while working out that Nike and Apple offer the Nike + iPod Sports Kit to keep you climbing stairs or running for miles.

Generally, the music’s beat per minute (bpm) should match your work out - cadence of your running or cardio exercise or often, your heart rate. The more the bpm matches your cadence the more likely you are to keep moving. Choosing the genre of music and artists you like also keep you moving. Whether it’s rock or metal, hip hop or trance, picking the right music can help increase your performance.

When the tempo of your music matches your pace, your body is more in sync with movement and breathing, making your work out more efficient. The music you enjoy can also push you farther and quiet that voice that tells you it’s time to stop. Depending on your ability, your bpm could be 90-150 or more, but whatever the number, you can count on it to decrease the fatigued feeling and increase your endurance.

For many exercisers, work outs are a matter of breaking the entire work out time into smaller segments. Most songs average about three minutes or so in length. This average can help you get through the last 10 minutes of your run or complete the last few sets of weight training when you see the 10 minutes as about three songs. The other great thing is that if you don’t find the song inspiring enough, you can fast forward through your list until you find one that takes you past your finish line.

Creating custom playlists with specific work out beats is easy now with iTunes and Potion Factory’s Tangerine plug-in.

• Tangerine analyzes the bpm of the music in your iTunes library so you don’t have to.
• Enter the bpm range to make your own work out mix.
• Tailor your work out playlist with warm up, work out and cool down songs.

Although gyms sometimes provide energetic music throughout the gym, investing in some kind of mp3 player may be wise if you plan to work out outdoors or if your gym’s music is inconsistent. Listening to your favorite songs while you work out can keep you moving and grooving - and you’ll be done with your work out before you know it.

Here are some of my favorite songs to work out to:

Hit Me Up - Gia Farrell
Just A Girl - No Doubt
No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand
Right Round - Flo-Rida
Just Dance - Lady GaGa
1901 - Phoenix
Radio Caller – The Spies
Please Don't Stop the Music - Rhianna
Single Ladies - Beyonce
Tik Tok - Ke$ha