Did you know listening to music while running can keep you running longer and possibly faster? Many people today have realized listening to music helps them to achieve longer workouts when the going gets tough!

According to Costas Karageorghis, a sports psychologist at Brunel University in Britain, this is due to the body’s different responses to rhythm. Karageorghis has spent most of his career studying rhythm and music’s effect on exercise, and determined there are four ways music can impact your cardio.

The first goal music should accomplish is a fast paced rhythm that gets your heart and blood pumping. The second way music impacts your cardio is culturally. The music you grew up dancing and listening to gives you those “feel good” memories. Next is association, what a song makes you think of when you hear it, and finally, your personal preference or taste. Accordingly, it is important to pick a playlist that you like, rather than just any music with a fast, catchy beat. SkinnyMs. has put together an upbeat playlist regardless of your taste in music!