Pump up your playlist.

The hardest part of exercise for me is getting the energy going at the start of the workout and keeping it going. The solution is a good high energy playlist. In the past I would pump the ipod during both my runs and bike workouts. Since the accident, I got smart and thought that riding with ear buds is not the safest practice. So, the ipod will be left for the runs. (OK, I just thought that sentence through. Then again, I am sure the ipod would be nice to have in the bathroom as well.)

So, how do you pick a good playlist? I started with time. How long will my workout be? That way I never have to look at the clock. When the playlist is over, so is my workout. Next is tempo. I focus on songs that will match the tempo of the workout. For example, the first song on my list is Viva la Vida by Coldplay. For me, this is a great warm up song to get the blood flowing without getting the heart rate going too quick too soon. I then progress into a group of songs with a quick tempo and energetic beat like Ke$ha, Pink, Beastie Boys, Crazy Frog, Black Eye Peas, and Lady Gaga. I wrap up the list with a song that I know is last on the list and how long the song is. This allows me to know that I have 3 minutes to go and it is time to push with everything I have left.

The key is the song selection. You want something that you like listening too. However, it also needs to get you moving! I like listening to Jack Johnson,but he does not get me going in a workout.