Do you ever hear your sneakers calling you from the depths of your closet, beckoning you for a run, but you just ignore them? If you find it is a struggle to find the motivation to exercise, try using music to guide your workout routine and get you out the door. As simple as it sounds, music has been shown to boost weight loss through exercise, and increase your motivation to work harder while at the gym. Listening to music while working out will also give you more focus and keep you from getting distracted by everything else going on.

Experts on exercise have claimed that, “The more unfit you are, the more difficult exercise is,” but, “Music helps break the monotony of exercise and provide a distraction from the physical exertion.” This means that if you are new to exercising, music can help ease you into your  beginner workout routine.

Sounds goods? Then grab your favorite mp3 player and follow these guidelines to start working out more efficiently

Make a Playlist Before You Workout

Check out music stores such as iTunes online music store, Runningmusicmix.com, JogTunes, MixMeister , Podrunner, or any other website that allows you to calculate your song’s bpm (beats per minute) to help you set your workout pace. Try to pick something that starts a little slower for a warm up, around 110 bpm while you do some light exercise. Then pick a few songs that are in the 140 to 180 bpm range depending on your workout style. Play around, try putting two songs together with different tempos. Make one a little faster and one slower, and see how it affects your pace. If you tend to match your stride to the beat, it’s more important to choose rhythmic songs that will keep your cadence up. Making your playlist beforehand will save you time and keep your workout flowing without having to stop to adjust your mp3 player. You can also make a variety of playlists for different workout routines throughout the week. For example, a couple for a cardio days, and a couple different one for lifting or stretching. Lastly, if you have an Android phone, iPhone, or iPod touch, you can download Nike BOOM for Android or Nike BOOM for iPhone to help you manage your workout playlists.

FYI about your BPM

To find the target heart rate that is right for you, first find your maximum predicted heart rate.
Just take (220 – (your age)).
Then, figure that you can warm up comfortably at 50-60% of your max.
The Fitness Zone (Best for Fat Burning) is around 60 – 70% of maximum heart rate.
The Aerobic Zone (For Endurance Training) is around 70 – 80% of maximum heart rate.
Your Anaerobic Zone (Performance Training) is at 80 – 90% of your maximum.
Your Red Line (Maximum Effort) is at 90 – 100% of your maximum heart rate and is very intense and not sustainable.
You will see gains in your performance if you work out anywhere above 60% of your max, with increasing gains coming from greater efforts throughout your exercise workout routine.

Fitness Classes

Working out in a class setting is also great for motivation and keeps you working hard. The music and the group setting are two positive factors to enhance your exercise experience. If you ask a group fitness instructor how they choose music for their classes, they will tell you that they select their music based on tempo and rhythm. They often choose remixed versions of songs which feature a more upbeat or racy tempo and are a lot longer which is great for a fitness workout routine.

So just remember, when exercising to music, many people automatically match the cadence of their movement to the tempo and rhythm of the song that’s playing. If you tend to do that, keep it upbeat. You may love the mellow sounds of Josh Groban, but save that for a stretch or Pilates workout, rather than trying to power walk or lift to it.

Just a Safety Reminder

Be safe. Keep music volume at a level that will not damage your hearing. “As we’re exercising our heart, we don’t want to ruin our ears,” experts recommend. Protect yourself, too. When walking or running outside with a headset on, keep the volume low enough to hear outside noises like oncoming traffic or a dog charging from the yard you’re passing. Be aware of your surroundings!