Working out can be tough, but one thing that can help you stay focused is listening to music. Studies have shown that during repetitive exercises such as running, music can distract you from just how tired you actually are. It can also get you pumped up or calm you down depending on a song’s beats per minute (BPM).
To start, think about your workout routine. Is it fast paced? Are you doing cardio? Weights? These are all aspects to consider when you are making your playlist. Think about how long your workout usually takes; 30 minutes, an hour? Give yourself an approximate time frame. Next, divide your workout routine into three main sections: warm-up, intervals, and cooldown.
When you are choosing songs to play during your warm up, the BPM should be around 120. This allows for some build-up as you slowly move into your actual workout. Songs around 120BPM also correlates to how fast your heart is beating as well.
Next, for your actual workout, you may do interval training or something else. But your songs should be between 145BPM and higher while you’re training. And when you’re resting, it should be around 130 to 140BPM. With this lower but still high BPM, it allows your heart rate and breathing to recover quicker.
Lastly, for your cool down, you should choose songs that are under 110BPM. This will help lower your heart rate and breathing slowly, while you recover. Another thing to keep in mind is that the number of songs you choose for the warm-up, intervals, and cool down, will depend on how long your workout routine is.
Now, you must be wondering, how do I know what BPM my songs are? A website that is very easy to use is https://songbpm.com/ , it’s very simple. You simply type in the song you are looking for and it will show you the BPM.