The 10 Best Workout Songs

A fitness pro picks tunes that will pump you up!

-Faye Brennan

Kristin Anderson knows how important it is to put a little variety in your workout if you’re going to reach your fitness goals. “New sneakers, new playlist, new atmosphere, new workout suggestions,” says the California trainer, whose workouts incorporate Pilates as well as outdoor sports like track and field. “Even if you’ve been working out for years, you can make a new playlist every week or for each kind of workout that you do. It always helps spark motivation,” Says Kristin, one of the fitness pros behind M-Train, an iPhone app that lets you train anytime and anywhere with her. “These songs will motivate you through the whole workout.”

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1. Beyonce - "Single Ladies" This song just makes you want to dance and makes you want to run. The beat keeps you going. It’s a great song to start your workout with, especially for women because the lyrics are so inspiring. It gets you fired up from the inside, to want to improve yourself.

2. Mary J Blige - "Just Fine" This song is along the lines of ‘I am who I am, I love myself and life is ok,’ so it’s another great inspirational song. Watch the music video below.

3. Mos Def - "Quiet Dog" A newer song off Mos Def’s latest album. It has this insane drumbeat that grows and grows, and the lyrics are about how you don’t just listen to life with your ears, you feel life with your heart and soul.

4. KT Tunstall - "Hold On" Everyone likes to listen to her! She plays the guitar and she’s funky. The lyrics of this song are basically ‘even if things are going bad in your life, you’ve got to hold on because it’s all going to change.’

5. Depeche Mode- "Personal Jesus" This [80s] song is a classic. We all need something to hold on to, and this song makes you feel like you’re not alone. I have it placed in the dead center of the workout, because if you’re doing interval training, you’ve got yourself going at this point, so this song sustains you through that. All the songs up until now were a part of your buildup.