This Playlist Will Make You Fitter

The key to lifting heavier and running faster? It’s all in your scientifically engineered Spotify playlist.

- Catriona Innes

What you do in the gym is hard. It’s also not natural. Think of it – all that cycling on a stationary bike to nowhere while a woman in small Lycra pants with a stomach like a bag of onions shouts at you. Think of all those leg presses and triceps dips you try to do while maintaining the bare minimum of human dignity. It’s tough on the gym floor, which is why not just any old playlist is going to cut it. No, what you need is a playlist that corresponds with what your brain (and body) needs for maximum motivation. Thankfully, someone has spent the past 25 years researching this first-world dilemma. His name is Dr Costas Karageorghis, sports psychologist at Brunel University, and he has basically analysed every chart hit of our time to find the ultimate fitness songs. These are his favourites. Prepare to smash that PB.

HITTING THE TREADMILL

THE TRACK Runnin’ (Lose It All), Naughty Boy featuring Beyoncé 

DR KARAGEORGHIS SAYS “We should try to match our runs to the beat of our music.

This has a BPM of 140 and allows you to take a stride per beat. The lyrics also provide a motivational and inspiring mental image.”

TRANSLATION The lyrics consistently repeat the word run. So what do we do? We run. And run and run.

HATE IT? TRY Ran,Future Islands (145 BPM)

WARM UP

THE TRACK Just Like Fire, P!nk