From Britney Spears to Kanye West: 12 best songs proven to take your workout to the next level

By | June 11, 2021

Whether you’re squat jumping to Britney Spears or lifting weights to Kanye West, Healthista have found 12 of the best songs, proven to enhance your workout 

It’s no secret that listening to music during a workout is a necessity – just imagine spin class without music? It’s a big no thank you from us.

Music can change your workout from being a chore to being almost fun.

But did you know that it has been scientifically proven that listening to the right type of music for different exercises can boost your performance?

a workout wouldn’t be the same without a few Britney Spears classics

Indeed, many studies have shown that music can increase the duration, pace and repetitions of exercise.

This is largely due to the beats per minute (bpm) of a song correlating to your exercise, as your body subconsciously synchronises your movement to the beat of the song.

At Healthista we’re convinced a workout wouldn’t be the same without a few Britney Spears classics – but now we have the science to prove it.

Here’s 12 proven songs to help make your workouts that little bit easier…

Best songs for HIIT Workouts

Anyone who has gone through a HIIT (high intensity interval training) knows you need to push your body to its limits, working explosively for short periods of time.

The short bursts of exercises such as burpees, squat jumps and high knees can quite literally break you. Okay exaggeration much, but you do need a song with a good beat to keep you moving.

The intensity of HIIT means you’ll need to have the right playlist blasting to ensure you stay motivated and keep pushing yourself.

Ideally, you should be aiming for songs that are 140 bpm or higher for your HIIT workouts.

These are our suggestions:

#1 Womanizer – Britney Spears

We told you Britney Spears would have to feature.

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In our opinion Womanizer is the ultimate Bad B**ch song for anyone needing to get through a tough workout.

At 140 bpm this song will have you jump lunging with ease.

#2 Waiting All Night – Rudimental ft. Ella Eyre

Although Rudimental is no Britney Spears… they know how to get us moving.

With a bpm of 175, this song’s upbeat tempo will get those legs moving.

Best songs for RUNNING & JOGGING

Running can make for a boring workout. People find themselves struggling to keep going for long periods of time while still maintaining a pace they’re happy with.

But choosing the right music for your cardio sessions could make your life much easier and have you running 5k rather than your usual 3k.

Studies have shown that listening to music with the right bpm will help you lengthen the duration of your exercise and keep you motivated during your exhausting cardio sessions.

Studies have shown that the ideal tempo for jogging is 120-125 bpm and for running 140-145 bpm.

These are our suggestions:
Jogging

#3 Bed – Joel Corry x RAYE x David Guetta

The title of this song may be misleading but don’t worry we wouldn’t let you down.

With a bpm of 124 after jogging to this tune, you will be begging to get to bed… trust us.

#4 I Loved You – Blonde ft. Melissa Steel

You’ll love us for suggesting this song, with a catchy rhythm and lyrics you will forget the numbers on the treadmill.

At 122 bpm this is the perfect summer jogging song.

Running

#5 All Of The Lights – Kanye West ft. Rihanna and Kid Cudi

With this classic 2000s song, you will be running for longer than you would expect.

The quick 142 bpm will keep you moving your legs, helping you get past that stitch and burn.

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#6 Silence – Marshmello ft. Khalid

You definitely won’t be able to keep silent during your run as you’ll be singing along and forgetting about the pain your in.

At 142 bpm this song will keep you moving.

Best songs for CYCLING

Keeping up your rotations while cycling can be difficult, doing repetitive movements again and again. But utilising the right bpm can make it a lot easier..

Cycling is similar to running, so you should be aiming for 125-140 beats per minute.

These are our suggestions:

#7 Prisoner – Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa (Jax Jones Remix)

We love this song for cycling, with its strong beats it keeps your legs moving without even having to think about it.

With a bpm of 128, it is THE perfect song to keep motivated.

#8 Sorry Not Sorry – Demi Lovato

You won’t be sorry if you listen to this song whilst cycling.

It will help you forget about that leg burn at a bpm of 144. This is not for the light-hearted.

Best songs for WEIGHTS

When strength and resistance training, it can be difficult to push yourself to the best of your abilities.

You may think that listening to music with a high bpm will help you pump the most, but this isn’t entirely true.

There are two different ways you can use music to improve your weight training. The best bpm for weight training is either 70 bpm or 130-140 bpm depending on the utilisation of the song in your workout.

Using songs that have 70 bpm can help you lift and lower your weight approximately every second ending on each beat.

Alternatively, using songs with 140 bpm you lift the weight on one beat and lower it on the next.

The different utilisations of the bpm doesn’t change the speed of your weight it’s just your preference of ending the rep on the beat or hearing the beat when you lift or lower your weight.

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These our suggestions:

#9 Ain’t My Fault – Zara Larsson

This is for those wanting to use a song at 140 bpm for lifting.

With a strong underlying beat, it will make lifting or lowering your weights that bit easier… we hope.

#10 The Weekend – SZA

At 73 bpm this popular track will keep you pumping.

If you want to feel the burn the next day listen to this song.

Best songs for YOGA & PILATES

Yoga and Pilates are all about finding your flow, taking time out of your day to refocus while also keeping fit.

Although a lower speed of exercise in comparison to the previous workouts mentioned, music still plays an important part in helping you perform to the best of your ability.

Yoga and Pilates tends to more more on the relaxing side of things where workouts are concerned,  hence why you should focus on using music with 60-100 bpm.

This is the same as the average person’s resting heart rate, enhancing your relaxation.

These our suggestions:

#11 Therefore I am – Billie Eilish

We all love a Billie Eilish song.

At 94 bpm this will help you ease from your downward dog into a cobra with no struggles.

#12 Sunset Lover – Petit Biscuit

We all can’t lie that we are a sucker for this song, no matter how much we hear it.

This track will help you strike your poses at a bpm of 91.

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