by Bengal Hotdog

Created on: May 11, 2009

When jogging, your main goal is most likely to either burn fat or improve your cardiovascular endurance. These goals are achieved primarily by overloading your system through pushing yourself to go farther, faster, and for longer periods of time.

Unfortunately for many of us, cardiovascular improvement and effective fat burning take time. How do you fight boredom on the dreaded treadmill or take your mind off your heavy, exhausted breathing and the monotonous pounding of your feet on the ground?

Many people find music helps to push them harder while jogging or working out at the gym. Music inspires movement (dancing) and if you get that perfect song, it can really help you feel stronger and more energetic with a great burst of enthusiasm. Plug in the headphones, find a good beat and you're all set. But how do you choose the tunes that will get your adrenaline pumping and keep you going that extra five or ten long minutes?

Three things to look for in creating a playlist of good running songs are:

1. You like the music

2. It has a steady, defined beat that matches the pace you are running

3. The music is upbeat and makes you tap your feet without even noticing

The second criteria can be a little bit tricky if you don't have a DJ's enormous musical selection on your computer already. Try using YouTube to sample music from genres or artists you might not be familiar with. Another option is to use websites like JogTunes, which give you the option of choosing playlists or sets of songs that are categorized by music genre and beats per minute (BPM).

What you will probably find the most useful for a long or powerful run are songs that fall under the categories of House, Dance, or Rave. These songs tend to have a steady, quick beat that is easy to match with your running pace, and you can pound your feet along with it. The songs are often long, which helps with endurance as you can challenge yourself to run until the song ends.

You may also like metal or rock tracks that have a fast pace or a lively sound. Songs you hear in the car that tend to make you want to drive faster will also make you want to run faster!

One of the best running songs out there is Sandstorm by Darude. Unfortunately it's not very long - just less than four minutes - but the intense track is perfect for burning off that initial burst of energy at the beginning of your run. It's a great song to warm up your body and get your heart pumping before any workout. Songs by Armand Van Helden also fall under

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