Working Out ala Country Style

Shape Magazine is all about working out, so when they put out a country workout playlist, it shouldn't have been a surprise. The thing is, their list seems to be more about raising your heartbeat from the "sexy" factor than the actual beats per minute (BPM) making you move a little faster. While yes, the guys that they feature are all good looking, finding the right music to motivate takes more than how well the singer fills out a pair of blue jeans!

According to the New York Times, there is a lot of science that goes into workout playlists. Costas Karageorghis, an associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University in England, who has studied the effects of music on physical performance for 20 years, says that one of the most important factors is tempo/BPM. Faster is not always better, so tempo should range between 120 and 140 beats per minute as a general rule but the type of exercise must be factored in too.

Walking or running? "For a stroll walker going at a pace of around three miles, or five kilometers, an hour, a remixed track has a count of 115 to 118 BPM; for a power walker going 4.5 miles per hour, the count is 137 to 139 BPM; while the BPM for a runner rises to 147 to 160."

Aerobics? According to bodybuilding.com, "Slow tempos under 100 beats per minute (BPM) are generally used for stretching, while tempos of 100-120 beats per minute are frequently used for warm-ups and cool-downs. Floor exercises are often performed to tempos of 110-130 beats per minute. Aerobic dance (or high impact) activities are generally performed at a tempo of 130-160 beats per minute. The lower impact aerobics (low-impact dance-exercise and step aerobics) should be kept at a lower tempo of 118-125 beats per minute."

Based on those numbers, for a great playlist to run with, check out these songs ...

"Dust" - Eli Young Band (131 bpm - 3:20 length)

"This is How We Roll" - Florida Georgia Line f/ Luke Bryan (132 bpm - 3:40 length)

"Wagon Wheel" - Darius Rucker (148 bpm - 4:03 length)

"Cruise" Florida Georgia Line (149 bpm - 3:30 length)

"Ready Set Roll" - Chase Rice (156 bpm - 3:15 length)

"Show You Off" - Dan + Shay )166 bmp - 3:04 length)

Tags

Eli Young Band, Florida Georgia Line