Sometimes when I’m on a long run, or in the middle of an especially intense HIIT class, my body will reach a stalemate. I’ll have that “over this” moment. My muscles are out of fuel. My body is exhausted. My brain is drained.
Through years of experience, I've found that there's only one cure to this phenomenon: the right song. When a tune I love starts playing through my headphones, I can forget any level of fatigue. The beat inspires me to keep going and keeps my mind off my shaking muscles or my boredom with my same-old running route.
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I’m not alone. Research shows that music can make exercise feel easier. The only drawback is that building the perfect playlist is a never-ending process, requiring constant updating to feed your soul with a fresh supply of energy-boosting beats.
If you need a hand, Spotify has some suggestions. They recently analyzed more than 54 million workout-themed Spotify playlists to come up with the songs exercisers listen to the most. The very top track was Eminem’s “‘Till I Collapse.” Also on the list: “Dance Monkey” by the powerhouse Australian singer-songwriter Tones and I.
Spotify also called out their most-followed workout playlist. That's lined up for you below. In addition, we took the liberty of creating our own list of bops — and we couldn't resist sticking with our favourite strong female artists, for an especially empowering lineup. Happy sweating!