Don't Skip a Beat: Ten Songs to Get You Pumped for Your Workout!

It is no secret that music gets us pumped to exercise. No matter if its running on lifting, a good song does wonders to keep us going. A recent study has revealed that there's a direct correlation between fast paced music and athletic performance. In the study, when the tempo or BPM (beats per minute) of the song slowed, so did the individuals' pace while working out. It is only natural that when a song's pace picks up, so does the action of the individual. 

BPM relates to the most important factor in exercise music selection: rhythm response. You should opt for a BPM that is close to your desired heart rate range upon working out or you can select a BPM range that corresponds with the pacing of your movements. Think of it like dancing. You dance to a beat, right? You would not want to make a dance movement that does not make sense to the sound you hear-unless you'er LMFAO, of course. 

When choosing a BPM to accommodate your heart rate, you'll need to first calculate your max heart rate. According to the American Heart Association, you can do so by subtracting your age from 220. So, if you are 28 years old, your BPM would be 192. Easy enough, right? Then you would go on to use this information, along with your targeted heart rate while working out to figure what BPM is personally best for you and your fitness level and goal. 

So, how do you calculate the BPM of a song? Well, you can do it the old fashioned way by counting, but that may drive you crazy. Luckily, there are websites and apps to help you calculate the beats per minute of any song out there.Here is a great one!

All of these songs have a BPM of 100 or greater which is sure to get your started! Get your iPod ready and have a wonderful workout!

1. Talk Dirty-Jason Derulo 100 BPM
2. Can't Hold Us- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 147 BPM
3. Happy-Pharrell 160 BPM
4. Sugar, We're Goin Down- Fall Out Boy 162 BPM
5. Stronger- Kanye West 104 BPM
6. Bangarang- Skrillex 110 BPM 
7. Dance (A$$)- Big Sean 160 BPM
8. Never Said It- Papa Roach 160 BPM
9. Timber- Pitbull ft Ke$ha 130BPM
10. Party Up (Up In Here)- DMX 101 BPM