Like most people I like to listen to music as I exercise. It keeps me pumped up and helps me to stay focused. Some people use music as background noise but I base my workout off of it. Here's my playlist and what it means to me...

 

First I start out with a little bit of country. Country music makes me sassy and I feel like I can do anything when I listen to it.

In my workouts I usually start by walkingon the treadmill for 1 mile to warm up. It takes me 20 minutes to walk the mile so I compiled a list of 7 songs that is 22 minutes long.

These songs help me to get focused on my workout and get my blood pumping. Each song has a special meaning to me that I couldn't possibly explain to all of y'all. Whether it inspires me or brings back emotional memories; these songs have meaning and they get me fired up for a good workout.

During my walk on the treadmill I usually drink two bottles of water. After I get done with that I take about 5 minutes to get a new bottle of water, rest, and get ready for the other half of my workout. That's where we come to my second playlist...

Here is where the real workout takes place. I start out listening to "High Hopes" and "2 Heads" while I do my opening stretches. I don't want to get injured.

Once those songs get done I listen to "Expectations" and do squats. This song has the perfect beat to do squats to. I just do squats for the entire song. It does have some foul language so if you aren't too big on cursing I would steer clear of it.

Next I listen to "breathin" and "Sweet but Psycho." (Once again there's a little bit of language) I've been focusing on my legs lately so I usually do lunges and leg lifts during these songs. These exercises vary day by day just depending on what I'm working on that day. I like to do reps during the verses and then on the chorus take a little break to drink some water and catch my breath. I'm trying to push myself but not over exert myself either. It's all about balance.

By the time "The Champion" comes on I'm ready to quit. This is the part where I'm really feeling the pain of the workout but I know I need to push through and finish strong. Tonight when I did my workout I did bridges to this song and the timing was pretty good. The words of the song really empower me and help me to persevere. I listen to this song for more than just workouts. I listen to it in the car to get me ready for work when I know it's going to be a busy day. Overall its a great song.

Finally I see the light at the end of the tunnel when "Meant to Be" comes on. This is where I start my cool-down stretches. It's a relaxing song and honestly its one of my all time favorite songs. Every time I hear it on the radio or out in public my face just lights up and I get this warm feeling inside.

I finish it all out with "Hey Look Ma, I Made It." This song gives me an accomplished feeling and makes me actually want to workout again. While I listen to this song I'm finishing up my cool-down stretches and finishing off my bottle of water.

I also use this song to send Swolesome a picture of my heart rate on my Apple Watch to let him know that I worked out. So far this week I've done 3 out of 4 workouts for the fitness challenge that Swole and I are doing. Swole on the other hand hasn't done a single workout and owes $10 to the pot. Here's your motivation, buddy.

Music is a key factor in my workouts and honestly I couldn't do it without music. My playlist is changing a lot so I might have a completely different set of songs next month. This is just what works for me right now.

What is your favorite song to workout to? What do you think about my playlist? Comment below and let me know!

XOXO @hellsbelle 🖤