The gym schedule that we mostly stick to goes like this:
35 minutes of cardio, then weight-lifting -- day 1
just 35 minutes of cardio -- day 2
day off from the gym -- day 3
repeat
So that means that today is a "just cardio" day. I'm opting for running on the treadmill today because my sister, Suzanne, is visiting and I can run on the treadmill next to hers. Once again, I was planning to take it a little easy today because my legs are kind of sore from weight-lifting yesterday, but as soon as my music in my ipod takes over, I'm swept away and running like a maniac. Did I look a little bit like a crazy person? I'm pretty sure I might have, but I'm not going to worry about it. Suzanne was inspired to run with me and that was really cool!
Which brings me to the point of this post--music. I don't know of any better "energy booster" (more like rocket fuel!) than my ipod. I've seen study after study that shows that people listening to upbeat music while exercising experience less discomfort/boredom, burn way more calories, create more endorphins, and experience a faster passage of time during their exercise session. I only listen with earbuds or headphones while I'm doing cardio at the gym because, like any sane person, I would never use headphones while running on the street or trail. This is a rule that I hope you'll follow too!
OK, I admit-I do wear my headphones when power walking around the neighborhood-but at least it's a quiet neighborhood with brick streets...still, point well taken.
ReplyDeleteI think we'd all LOVE to see your playlist of upbeat running tunes! I'm always on the lookout (listenout?) for new music, or even remembering older stuff that I've forgotten about. Besides, I think we could all use a few more upbeat tunes in our lives right now!
For super high energy days, I like The Clash. When I want to feel like I'm made out of sparkling white light (sounds funny, right? well it is!), I like the album, "Hello Everything" by Squarepusher.
ReplyDeleteThose are just a couple of things I like--anyone out there have any good suggestions?
Lately my favorites have been OK Go's "Oh no" (the first two tracks are my favorites for pushing through crunches) and the free iTunes podcast "Podrunner". It features many tracks which share some of SquarePusher's experimental electronic jazz/ space/ club / World roots-though electronic club mix styles dominate overall. The hour long podcasts are structered around either a single bpm rate or an escalating one, so you can download just what you need for almost any kind of workout.
ReplyDeleteSparkling white light? Well yes, you are! Anyone who has gotten to know you a little has already seen that! :)
There is a young physician at Penn State's Student Health Center in State College that has invented a really cool way to listen to audio while sleeping or running. She calls her device "Sleep-phones" and "Run-Phones". I think these would work well for workouts also.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sleepphones.com and http://runphones.com