It’s no big secret that music is the key to a more productive home workout.
True enough, a study by post-doctoral scholar Cassie Ellis found that people do in fact play music to motivate them to exercise. Additionally, Ellis discovered that music guides counting, so the tempo greatly matters depending on your routine. For instance, music with a tempo of 120 to 140 BPM pumps more people up during aerobic workouts. However, slow exercises are much more appropriate for music below 120 BPM.
In terms of tempo, there’s no genre more diverse than EDM. As such, it’s definitely possible to create a playlist with music that compliments every phase of your routine.
Here are five of the best EDM songs you need to boost your home workout routine.
M.I.A. – Sunshowers
For many people, the hardest part of a workout is actually getting up to do it. This is why Gala Bingo’s Happy Hub states that the warm-up is one of the most important phases in any exercise, as it can help to get your blood pumping right away. Whether you’re doing leg raises or jumping jacks, warming up to upbeat music is a great way to motivate yourself, too. For warm-ups, you want an energetic beat, albeit a slow one like "Sunshowers."
Calvin Harris & Disciples – How Deep Is Your Love
Fast burst exercises like HIIT are made up of two parts: the short, high-intensity bits and the moderate, slow intervals for cooling off. For this, you want "How Deep Is Your Love." Not only is it fast enough to encourage you to finish your high-impact rounds, but the melody hits so deep that it's also an inspiring song to listen to during your breaks. This song proves that EDM should be a key part of any HIIT playlist.
Pretty Lights – Finally Moving
Yoga does more than exercise the body—it has a lot of mental benefits as well. According to research by Calm With Yoga, this activity encourages deep breathing, which is good for alleviating stress and balancing your mood. In this case, the music should be a lot slower—around 70 to 100 BPM—so it can help you time your breathing. "Finally Moving" is a classic that’s exactly 100 BPM. Plus, the song itself is very heartfelt, making it the perfect option for a calming routine like yoga.
Turbotronic – Showtime
A good BPM range for weightlifting is anywhere between 130 to 140. This tempo is inspiring but not so much that you’ll end up lifting too fast and causing your body harm. Most of Turbotronic’s music falls within this range, but for workouts, you can never go wrong with the power beats of "Showtime."
DJ Katch – Ends UP
Fit Day suggests that cool-downs are crucial to reduce your heart rate, gradually lower body temperature, and loosen muscles to prevent injury. It’s a step that no home exercise routine should skip out on. Your cool-down music doesn’t need to be as slow as yoga music, but it still needs to be slow enough that it doesn’t provoke you to move a lot. "Ends UP" is the perfect track to end your session with.
No matter what type of home exercise routine you have, it’s important to understand that there's an EDM song that can help boost your workouts. If you’re the type to try different kinds of workouts, we highly recommend keeping separate playlists for each one.