This Workout Playlist Can Actually Make Your Sweat Seshes More Effective
Step one: Pick out a cute workout 'fit. Step 2: Lace up sneaks. Step 3: Pump up the playlist. In a world where so much emphasis is placed on what you’re doing for your workouts, let’s take a step back and take a deeper dive into just how you plan on getting through those workouts.
I'm talking about the tunes, beats, bops. High-tempo music (the kind that's around 170 heartbeats per minute) makes a workout feel easier, ups your mood, and helps you run farther and faster. Science says so, per a recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology. Music may change the way that you respond to fatigue—and even boost your endurance, per research published in the Journal of Sports Exercise Psychology.
Meet the expert: Jordan Metzl, MD, is a sports medicine physician at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
Plus, tunes can make you feel more powerful, per research from Sage Journal, and people who listen to music they deemed “pleasing” had higher levels of serotonin, also known as the “feel-good” hormone, according to findings published in the book Progress in Brain Research.
That’s reason enough for me to pump up the beats before I kick off any workout.
“We know about the mental and physical benefits of exercise for the brain, and that it aids with sleep,” says Jordan Metzl, MD, a sports medicine physician at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City previously told WH. “When people are ruminating about something, exercise helps.”
But let’s face it – not just any music will do. When I trained for the NYC Half Marathon I curated the perfect playlist that had fast beats to keep me moving and empowering lyrics to get me hyped and drown out the muscle pain.
Looking for the perfect soundtrack for your next sweat? Check out these playlists below broken down into overall workout songs, and then into categories made just for running, cycling, lifting, yoga, and more. Scroll to the bottom for a Spotify playlist of all our picks. Are you ready to rock out and rock your workout?
50 Best Workout Songs
"Juice" by Lizzo
"Yummy by Justin Bieber
"The Box" by Roddy Rich
"Toast" by Koffee
"Countdown" by Beyonce
"Girl on Fire (Inferno Version)" by Alicia Keys
"Roxanne" by Arizona Zervas
"Energy (Wellman Remix)" by Drake
"High Hopes" by Panic! At the Disco
"Back to Delilah (Remix)" by Florence + the Machine and Drake
"Finest Hour" by Cash Cash featuring Abir
"A Thousand Miles (Scooter Hype White Girl Surprise Intro)" by Vanessa Carlton
"Run This Town" by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna
"Burn" by Ellie Goulding
"Apeshit" by The Carters
"7 Rings" by Ariana Grande
"Genius (Lil Wayne Remix)" by LSD featuring Lil Wayne, Sia, Diplo, and Labrinth
"If I Can’t Have You" by Shawn Mendes
"Pony (Jump On It)" by Ginuwine
"DJ Turn It Up" by Yellow Claw
"No Diggity (Fare Solid Remix)" by Blackstreet
"Stay (Scooter Mix)" by Alessia Cara
"I Like It (Dillon Francis Remix)" by Cardi B
"Good Old Days" by Macklemore feat. Kesha
"New Level (Meaux Green Remix)" by A$AP Ferg
"Indian Summer" by Jai Wolf
"Bounce" by Logic
"Innerbloom" by Rufus Du Sol
"Field Below" by Regina Spektor
"Focus" by H.E.R.
"True Colors" by Jules Larson
"Like A Star" by Corrine Bailey Rae
"Free Fallin’" by John Mayer
"Brooklyn In the Summer" by Aloe Black
"I Was Made for Loving You" by Tori Kelly
"Mirror" by Madison Ryann Ward
"Beyond" by Leon Bridges
"Cold Little Heart" by Michael Kiwanuka
"Missin’ You Crazy" by Russ
"Little Lion Man" by Mumford and Son
Nonstop" by Drake
"Drip" by Cardi B feat. Migos
"Dance Monkey" by Tones And I
"No Problem" by Chance the Rapper
"Wish Wish" by DJ Khaled featuring Cardi B
"Bo$$" by Fifth Harmony
"Sicko Mode" by Travis Scott featuring Drake
"Humble." by Kendrick Lamar
"Bulletproof" by La Roux
"I Can" by Nas
Best Workout Songs For Running
These upbeat songs will keep you motivated while on the trails or the treadmill. And many of these tracks hover around the standard BPM (beats per minute) cadence for logging miles, which is roughly between 170 and 180.
"Juice" by Lizzo
"Toast" by Koffee
"Countdown" by Beyonce
"Girl on Fire (Inferno Version)" by Alicia Keys
"Dance Monkey" by Tones And I
"Energy (Wellman Remix)" by Drake
"High Hopes" by Panic! At the Disco
"Back to Delilah (Remix)" by Florence + the Machine and Drake
"Finest Hour" by Cash Cash featuring Abir
"A Thousand Miles (Scooter Hype White Girl Surprise Intro)" by Vanessa Carlton
"Run This Town" by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna
"Burn" by Ellie Goulding
"Apeshit" by The Carters
"7 Rings" by Ariana Grande
"Genius (Lil Wayne Remix)" by LSD featuring Lil Wayne, Sia, Diplo, and Labrinth
Best Workout Songs For Spin
Perfect for everything from sprints to slow climbs, these songs have a good range of BPM to bring you through a 45–minute session.
"Yummy" by Justin Bieber
"If I Can’t Have You" by Shawn Mendes
"Pony (Jump On It)" by Ginuwine
"DJ Turn It Up" by Yellow Claw
"Roxanne" by Arizona Zervas
"No Diggity (Fare Solid Remix)" by Blackstreet
"Stay (Scooter Mix)" by Alessia Cara
"I Like It (Dillon Francis Remix)" by Cardi B
"Good Old Days" by Macklemore feat. Kesha
"New Level (Meaux Green Remix)" by A$AP Ferg
"Indian Summer" by Jai Wolf
"Bounce" by Logic
"Innerbloom" by Rufus Du Sol
Best Workout Songs For Yoga
It’s time to turn down, just a little bit. These slower, soulful beats are the perfect tracks to take you through your next sun salutation.
"Focus" by H.E.R.
"Like A Star" by Corrine Bailey Rae
"Field Below" by Regina Spektor
"True Colors" by Jules Larson
"Free Fallin’" by John Mayer
"Brooklyn In the Summer" by Aloe Blacc
"I Was Made for Loving You" by Tori Kelly
"Mirror" by Madison Ryann Ward
"Beyond" by Leon Bridges
"Cold Little Heart" by Michael Kiwanuka
"Missin’ You Crazy" by Russ
"Little Lion Man" by Mumford and Sons
Best Workout Songs For Lifting
Consisting of mostly hip-hop, these bass-heavy tracks are just the right groove to be picking things up and putting them down.
"The Box" by Roddy Rich
"Drip" by Cardi B feat. Migos
"Nonstop" by Drake
"No Problem" by Chance the Rapper
"Wish Wish" by DJ Khaled featuring Cardi B
Bo$$ by Fifth Harmony
"Sicko Mode" by Travis Scott featuring Drake
"Humble." by Kendrick Lamar
"Bulletproof" by La Roux
"I Can" by Nas
The Best Rock Workout Songs
“All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers
“How You Like Me Now” by The Heavy
“Beggin” by Madcon
“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
“Enter Sandman” by Metallica
“Original Prankster” by The Offspring ft. Redman
“Feel It Still” by Portugal The Man
“City of Angels” by 24kGoldn
“Smooth” by Carlos Santana ft. Rob Thomas
“Mas” by Kinky
The Best Country Workout Songs
“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home) by Elle King and Miranda Lambert
“Lil Bit” by Nelly and Florida Georgia Line
“Drop Top” by Keith Urban ft. Kassi Ashton
“Cruise Remix” by Florida Georgia Line ft. Nelly
“Body Like a Back Road” by Sam Hunt
“Man! I Feel Like A Woman” by Shania Twain
“Honey, I’m Good” by Andy Grammer
“Ex’s and Oh’s” by Elle King
“All Summer Long” by Kid Rock
“Life Is A Highway” by Rascal Flatts
The Most Motivating Workout Songs
“Woman” by Kesha
“Nightmare” by Halsey
“Confident” by Demi Lovato
“Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez
“Worship” by Lizzo
“Everybody’s Got Their Something” by Nikka Costa
“I’ve Got The Magic In Me” by B.o.B.
“Alien Superstar” by Beyoncé
“Level Up” by Ciara
“I’m Good (Blue)” by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha
The Best Dance Workout Songs
“Sweetest Pie” by Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa
“What You Need” by Britney Spears
“Take You Dancing” by Jason Derulo
“Mi Gente” by J Balvin and Willy William ft. Beyoncé
“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by Backstreet Boys
“Twerk” by City Girls ft. Cardi B
“Exhale” by Kenzie ft. Sia
“Lose Control” by Missy Elliott ft. Ciara and Fat Man Scoop
“Come to Me” by P. Diddy ft. Nicole Scherzinger
“Maneater” by Nelly Furtado
Ready to put the master playlist to the test? Try it out below:
You Might Also Like
