Tag Archives: workout playlist

Buddy Guy

Who would have thought that the blues and working out could be used in the same sentence? Well, if you choose your songs wisely, the blues can make for a good workout mix! While a lot of blues music can be somber, much of it is uplifting as well. Think of it as a liberating way of exercising your ghosts.

So without further adieu, let’s start singing the blues. Here is a nice little upbeat list of blues songs to take on your next run or brisk walk. (more…)

If you’re just a beginner at exercise, it can be rough trying to muster up your motivation. However, once you start doing it, you will feel firsthand the natural high that you experience after a workout.

That “high” you are experiencing is very real. You see, when you exercise your body releases endorphins which are responsible for that mood-boosting feeling you get. It also reduces cortisol levels, a stress hormone.

I know how tough it can get to motivate yourself when you’re just starting out, but once you get a few exercise sessions under your belt and experience how great you feel afterward, it not only gets easier, but you crave it as well.

Until that time comes, here is a little extra motivation in the form of an upbeat workout mix: (more…)

When it comes to getting in a good cardio workout, whether it’s on a treadmill or out in the great outdoors, it’s nearly impossible for me to imagine doing it without the inspirational power of music. Besides inspiring me to keep going I get tend to get lost in the songs and forget that I’m actually working out.

While I can be inspired by all kinds of music, sometimes I really enjoy the steady pulse of electronic-based music to keep me in step. Here is a selection of current artists who take a bit from the past and make it their own.

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: A Steady Beat Mix (more…)

I’m not a big fan of American Idol. If I happen to catch the first few episodes of a season, I enjoy seeing some of the crackpots, but all in all, I just don’t care for the concept of manufacturing pop stars.

But when I heard about this new show called The Voice, the concept intrigued me a bit. Turning your back on the contestants and just going on their voice is at least on the surface interesting enough to make me want to see what it’s all about.

This Tuesday, April 26, The Voice premieres on NBC. There are four celebrity “coaches” on the show, not judges, who will help contestants compete against each other. Here is a workout-worthy mix from the show’s four coaches: (more…)

Record stores are fast going the way of the dinosaurs. Or are they? Yes, legal and illegal downloads have taken a huge nick out of the music market, but there are mom and pop stores that are still doing well.

It’s still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that there are no more national music stores. And no, Best Buy doesn’t count, especially since the last time I went, it looks like I have as many CDs in my collection as they carry in any given store.

For those smaller stores that are thriving, there is the annual celebration known as Record Store Day. Tomorrow, April 16, 2024 independently-owned record stores team up with artists and their labels to release special limited edition vinyl and CDs as a way for music nuts like myself to show our appreciation for the music stores who are still fighting the good fight. (more…)

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17. The Irish have observed this day, the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick, as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.

To commemorate the passing of a revered saintly figure in the Catholic church, most of us go out and drink green beer and party with our friends. Life is strange sometimes.

I’m not about to tell anyone how they should celebrate the holiday, but in case you’re looking for a little inspiration that is not measured in pints, here is a workout playlist of artists from the beautiful country I would like to visit someday – Ireland. (more…)

Mardi Gras begins this week and if you plan on taking part in some form of Fat Tuesday celebration, you probably need to make up for it in a pretty intense workout.

Why let a good theme opportunity go to waste? In honor of the home of Mardi Gras, this week’s workout is about all things New Orleans. Lots of great music has come out of New Orleans. It’s the birthplace of Jazz, and a melting pot of Cajun, Zydeco, Blues and every other kind of music you can imagine.

All but one of the following artists are from New Orleans (Gary U.S. Bonds being the exception). (more…)

The Grammy Awards were given out last Sunday. While I generally couldn’t give two hoots about it since there is no logic in one pick to the next (sometimes artistic merit is considered, other times it’s purely a popularity contest), there was some interesting drama. That is, if you are a, what are they called, “Belieber”?

Apparently there was a big uproar from the cult of the teenage phenom Justin Bieber because he didn’t win the “Best New Artist” category. Okay, if you are over 13 and you are offended that other people don’t share your obsessions for boys who sound like they haven’t hit puberty yet, we need to introduce you to some counseling.

While I occasionally joke about Justin Bieber, I honestly don’t have strong opinions about teen pop stars.

There is one thing, though… when exactly does he plan on hitting puberty?

Otherwise, they come, they go, and life goes on. No wars have ever been fought over one… yet. Maybe Justin can be put to good use and topple more repressive regimes. (more…)