I spend a significant amount of time every week putting together playlists for my yoga classes. I’m a little crazy but I don’t like to use the same playlists over and over. I find that keeping my music fresh keeps the class fresh for my regular students. Also, different classes have different vibes so I usually tailor my playlists to match the class mood.
For example, my Monday 7:15 p.m. calls for a more down tempo/chill playlist to help everyone wind down from the day. Tuesday 6 a.m. needs to build slowly before bringing some really high energy tunes to get everyone pumped for the day ahead. My Friday 4:30 p.m. and Saturday morning 11:15 a.m. are all about feel good, fun music because everyone is in weekend mode.
I resisted making the switch to Spotify for years but ever since I did about a year and a half ago, I haven’t looked back. Spotify makes it so easy for me to put together new playlists without having to purchase or download music. While I can’t find quite as many cool remixes as I used to when I used iTunes, the trade off of how quick and easy Spotify is to use is worth it.
I really just love music in general. You will rarely find me without something playing in the background while I work and the first thing that Tanner and I say when we walk in the door at night is, “Alexa, play chill out on Pandora.”
So in the spirit of music love, I’m going to start sharing a weekly 60-minute playlist that you can use to power you through your workouts. It’s going to be themed towards songs you’d want to listen to while running or at the gym. I don’t know about you but I can spend FOREVER looking for that perfect playlist on Spotify before I start working out.
Here are this week’s picks! I’ll post them every Sunday.
Weekly Workout Playlist
15 of My Favorite Spotify Playlists
And just for reference…here are 15 of my favorite Spotify public playlists.
- Evening Chill – great for down tempo background
- Chill Vibes – great for down tempo background
- Pop Rising – new song ideas
- New Music Friday – I get TONS of new song ideas from this playlist
- Discover Weekly – Spotify’s weekly curated playlist just for you
- Evening Acoustic – relaxing acoustic
- Lost in the Clouds – quiet/peaceful background for working
- ElectroNow – workouts
- Your Favorite Coffeehouse – background working music
- chill.out.brain – more ambient down tempo
- Motivation Mix – workouts
- Workout Remix – remixes of your favorite songs for workouts
- Productive morning – wordless “focus” work music
- Young & Free – for fun, light music that’s not mainstream – it always feels fresh and like I haven’t heard it a million times
- Peaceful Piano – for when I need a big exhale and focus to work
Also, Spotify has added a new, “your daily mix” that features a few playlists of varying genres/styles based on what you listen to often. I find it to be a little repetitive but I still use it a good bit.
Last Week’s Workouts
And here are last week’s workouts. I’m still kind of on board the struggle bus when it comes to workout motivation. I’m definitely in coasting mode but I’m also okay with that. I’ll make a change when I’m ready and get a little more focused.
Monday
2 mile treadmill run to warm up + lift
3 rounds:
10 pull ups
20 leg press
10 lat pulldowns
3 rounds:
10 alternating single arm chest press (each arm) holding a 25# dumbbell
10 single leg deadlifts (each leg) holding a 25# dumbbell
10 bicep curls (15#)
10 back stepping lunges (each leg) holding a 25# dumbbells in each arm
15 tricep cable press downs
Tuesday
Hot yoga
Wednesday
REST
Thursday
Ashtanga yoga + 3 mile walk
Friday
3 mile treadmill interval run + lift
Run:
5 minute warm up
5 minute hills (45 on, 15 off)
5 minute sprints (45 on, 15 off)
5 minute steeper hills at a faster pace (30 on, 10 off)
5 minute faster sprints (30 on, 10 off)
3 rounds:
15 bench press (65#)
10 pull ups
3 rounds:
20 resistance band two-step shuffles
20 kettlebell squats alternating picking up the kettlebells every other squat (I need to make a video of this for y’all)
3 rounds:
2 sets resistance band monster walks back and forward
10 bicep curls (15# dumbbells)
5 rounds:
10 back squats (85#)
10 tricep extensions off the bar
3 rounds:
15 kettlebell romanian deadlifts (55#)
10 strict dumbbell shoulder press (20#)
Saturday
6.2 mile run at 8:34 pace
Sunday
3 mile walk + hot yoga
What kind of music do you like to listen to when you workout?
When you take yoga or group exercise classes, do you feel that the music helps set the tone/energy for the class?
Workouts…feeling super motivated/focused or coasting right now?
