Well I thought it was going to be an easy topic and then I started Googling and reading...who knew that music for jogging was such a well researched topic? My brain is about to explode.
So here is everything I've read and absorbed into my memory bank...in a condensed pocket sized version.
Let us begin with the latest research done by Brunel University's School of Sport and Education. This fine institution of higher learning has revealed that "carefully selected music can significantly increase a person's physical endurance and make the experience of cardiovascular exercise far more positive."
They did a test where 30 participants exercised on a treadmill while listening to a selection of music, including Queen, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Madonna. During the experiment, the participants were asked to keep in strict time with the beat.
So what did researchers discover? Drum roll please.
That music has the power to enhance endurance by 15% "and improve the 'feeling states' of exercisers, helping them to derive much greater pleasure from the task. One significant new finding is that music can help exercisers to feel more positive even when they are working out at a very high intensity close to physical exhaustion."
So basically if you listen to music while working out, you'll keep doing the exercise longer and at a more intense pace without even knowing it...simply put, it's musical brainwashing.
Now the question that remains what is the best music to listen to while jogging?
If you go really scientific [as opposed to this is the music I like to listen to period] you will choose music based on BPMs [beats per minute].
On average, music at 155 beats per minute is equivalent to an 8.5 minute mile; at 145 beats per minute to a 9.5 minute mile. So you could essentially customize a jogging only playlist based on BPM set that is optimal for your personal speed.
If you're into being that specific I found three great websites for the super-nerdy-music-jogging yummy mummies.
First up is technosweat.com, for those who prefer outdoor workout sessions. The website claims to have the largest BPM catalogue so possibilities are endless. Bring on the techno music!
Then there is the site bestworkoutmusic.com, this site makes it very easy to pick out music based on your pace plus the bonus here is that it includes a variety of musical genres including jazz and country [just in case you're not down with the hip hop and techno]
And finally if rock is more your vibehead over to gymrattz.com, all the songs on this site lists all songs by BPM and gives you the option of buying not only buying the individual song but also the entire album.
Now if all this is giving you a musical anxiety attack, and all you want is a simple playlist to upload to your MP3/iPod deviceI have that too
Just remember it's all about tempo. Find a pace and the music that works for youby trying to best match up the BPMs to your jogging stride.
My almost forgetting how much I hate jogging playlist:
No Doubt Happy Now
U2 Beautiful Day
Sheryl Crow Steve McQueen
Matchbox Twenty Push
INXS I Need You Tonight
Goldfinger Superman
A Tribe Called Quest Bonita Applebum
Pink Rockstar
Black Eyes Peas Let's Get It Started
Eminem Lose Yourself
Lenny Kravitz- Are You Gonna Go My Way
Van Morrison Brown Eyed Girl
Geri Halliwell It's Raining Men
Nelly Furtado Maneater
Britney Spears Womanizer
Soft Cell Tainted Love
Romantics What I Like About You
Go-Go's We Got the Beat
Robert Palmer Simply Irresistible
Peter Gabriel Shock the Monkey
Blues Traveller Run Around
Ricky Martin She Bangs
Weezer Island In The Sun
Ting Tings Shut Up And Let Me Go
Technotronic Pump Up The Jam
Dirty Vegas Days Go By