Music is one of the best motivators when working out. Hearing an upbeat rhythmic song will help you push on while you exercise.

The one of the main things most people grab to prepare for their workout are ear buds. It has been shown that listening to music makes you work harder. It can get you over the hump of finishing that last half mile on the treadmill or even smooth out your cool down session.

There is a variety of different genres of music from a slow waltz to a fast foxtrot that can help boost your energy level. The options are limitless.

Where can you find music that’s right for you?

The internet is the main place to find the right music for you. The amount of websites that offer pre-made playlists for any workout you do is amazing.  Here are a few really good websites that give you a variety of playlists and ways to create playlist:

• www.songbpm.com. This website bases its song on beats per minute or BPM. You can go off of the speed of the exercise you are doing and it will search for similar songs with that tempo.
• www.motiontraxx.com. This website offers playlists that are also categorized by the beats per minutes. Exercises such as cycling and running are great for these.
• www.workoutmusic.com. Here you can buy actual cds that have all types of workout music on them. These cds are categorized by cardio, walking, running, eliptical, pre-natal,yoga and strength and toning..
• http://www.powermusic.com/. This website is a mixture of all the previous ones. You can buy cds, browse by BPM, browse by activity, and just do a general browse of all the music they have.

“Music is positive energy”, says Deekron “the Fitness DJ” Krikorian, who is one of the playlist producers for MotionTraxx. “So when I put together playlists, I look for intensity, positive feeling and cohesiveness.”

What are ideal BPMs of Songs for different workouts?

Let’s first remember that BPM is beats per minute. This determines how fast or slow the song is going. The higher the number the faster the song and vice versa for the smaller the number. This is why music is so compatible with working out because you can tailor a song to match the level of physical activity you are doing. Here is a basic guide to choosing an optimum song for each type of exercise activity.

You can find the BPM for any song by going to the Song BPM Website.

Power walking: 120-145 The songs “Invisible” by U2 and “Clocks” by Coldplay are along the speed of a steady power walk.

Elliptical, stair climber: 130-150 “Locked Out of Heaven”and “Applause” by Lady Gaga are nice to get a good burn in on the stair stepper.

Indoor cycling: 130-160 “Perfect World” by Broken Bells and “Hey Ya” by OutKast are good songs for a rhythmic cycling set.

Jogging: 135-155 “Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Ray Dalton and “All of the Lights” by Kanye West are good ones for jogging.

Running: 155-180. An example of a song along this tempo would be “Strange Times” by the Black Keys or “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.