Seasons of Life
In a recent podcast episode where Nely and I sat down with a good friend and fellow triathlete and coach, Angie Brown, the term seasons of life…
Category: Exercise
Best Songs for Your Next Run
On days I don’t have a running buddy or group to train with or running just seems a little more daunting than usual, I treat myself to bringing along my trusty headphones with my pre-made playlists and jam whichever one goes with my workout for that day. It puts a massive smile on my face as I zoom, or trot, down the road, singing away and having a grand old time.
What better way to get you through that challenging speed workout, 3-hour-long run, or hill sprint session (the local runners reading this know what we mean #HillsdaleRepeats or headed to St. Fran) than an awesome pump-you-up playlist of the best running songs out there?
True, we all have different tastes in music, and not everyone is going to love every song on these lists. Still, I hope to help get you through some of those workouts by singing along to these fun tunes!
In this article, we break up our running songs into a few different categories depending on the type of workouts, such as speedwork or hills, or drills to improve form or cadence. We also have included some recovery run songs as well.
Note: Remember to always have your headphones turned down low enough, or only running with one in to be able to hear the traffic and noise around you. #SafteyFirst
THE BENEFITS OF RUNNING WITH MUSIC:
For most of us, we know that listening to music while running pumps us up and makes us feel good, right? But why is that? What can music actually do for us?
Music can help improve running performance: According to studies, music can help regulate mood and enhance a runner’s motivation and inspiration while running, resulting in a better workout outcome.
Music improves mood by boosting the brain’s dopamine production: Haven’t you ever listened to a song that just puts a smile on your face immediately? A song can turn your mood around and cheer you up on a dime.
- Music can reduce stress and distract you: Distraction sounds like a pretty significant benefit when you are trying to push through those last few 400-meter repetitions at top speed or suffering through the last few kilometers of a peak-week long run. Get lost in the lyrics and finish up those final laps.
- Music can help reduce pain: This statement will vary depending on the study you read, but some state that by reducing stress and anxiety, you can also feel a reduction in pain. Therefore, music helps reduce our stress levels, which will result in less pain.
- Music can change up the routine: I know I like to run to the sound of silence or my own thoughts 80% of the time, but on those days when getting out the door seems more daunting than usual, a quick playlist can make all the difference on your perspective.
Just be sure and take precautions when listening to music on busy roads and ensure you are always aware of your surroundings. We want to use music as a distraction as an advantage to training, but not completely zone out to the point where the workout can become a risk.
GOOD SONGS FOR YOUR NEXT LONG RUN:
- Shivers – Ed Sheeran
- There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back – Shawn Mendes
- Take You Dancing – Jason Derulo
- Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 & Cristina Aguilera
- Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
- Bang Bang – Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
- Locked Out Of Heaven – Bruno Mars
- Time Of Our Lives – Pitbull & Ne-Yo
- Raise Your Glass – Pink
- Don’t Stop The Music – Rhianna
- SexyBack – Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
- Kiss You- One Direction
- Stronger – Kelly Clarkson
- Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas
- Like Sugar – Chaka Khan
- On Top Of The World – Imagine Dragons
- Cake By The Ocean – DNCE
- Can’t Stop The Feeling – Justin Timberlake
- High Hopes – Panic! At The Disco
- Good As Hell – Lizzo
GOOD SONGS FOR HILL WORK:
- The Phoenix – Fall Out Boy
- Sabotage – Beastie Boys
- Bulls On Parade – Rage Against the Machine
- Somebody Told Me – The Killers
- Come Out and Play – Offspring
- Welcome To The Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
- Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
- Survivor – Destiny’s Child
- Reptilia – The Strokes
- Misery Business – Paramore
- ‘Till I Collapse – Eminem
- Numb – Jay-Z & Linkin Park
- Last One Standing – Bon Jovi
- Music Make You Lose Control – Missy Elliot
- Pump It – Black Eyed Peas
SONGS FOR RECOVERY RUNS:
- Trumpets – Jason Derulo
- Drops Of Jupiter – Train
- Lucky – Jason Mraz
- Demons – Imagine Dragons
- Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
- Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Wake Me Up – Avicii
- Budapest – George Ezra
- Lego House – Ed Sheeran
- Sunday Morning – Maroon 5
- Life Is A Highway – Rascal Flats
- Breakfast At Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
- Sitting, Waiting, Wishing – Jack Johnson
- 3 AM – Matchbox Twenty
- It’s A Great Day To Be Alive – Travis Tritt
BEST SONGS TO IMPROVE CANDENCE:
- Hawái – Maluma
- Despacito – Luis Fonsi
- La Bicicleta – Carlos Vives & Shakira
- Burn – Ellie Goulding
- No Diggity – Blackstreet
- Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Demons – Imagine Dragons
- Roar – Katy Perry
- Jumpin’ Jumpin’ – Destiny’s Child
- Cheap Thrills – Sia
- Bailando – Enrique Iglesias
- Thrift Shop – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Get Right – Jennifer Lopez
- Beautiful Liar – Beyoncé & Shakira
- Con Calma – Daddy Yankee & Snow
- Hey DJ – CNCO
- Drive – Incubus
- Renegades – X Ambassadors
- Say Something – Justin Timberlake
- Súbame La Radio – Enrique Iglesias
There you have it! Take a good listen to my best running songs and see if they are right up your alley or if you need to make some changes. The important thing is that the songs you choose to run motivate you, inspire you, and put a smile on your face. If you start jamming out the lyrics during your run, even better!
Amazon Prime Day for Active Lives
It’s here: everyone’s favorite shopping holiday! Amazon Prime Day offers some of the best across-the-board discounts of the year. Unfortunately, it’s limited to Amazon Prime members. If you’re not already a prime member, you can start a 30-day free trial and benefit from the deals. Here’s the breakdown of our top prime day deals for active & healthy lives.
Keeping up with a healthy meal plan is a challenge in everyday life. Often, quick convenient dinners are not the healthiest. Owning an air fryer changes this equation. This air fryer is great for making crispy and delicious dishes without using tons of oil. Along with the air fryer function, it can broil, roast and reheat. Unlike a standard oven, all of these features come with little or no preheat time. And, 5.7 quart capacity is enough to put together dishes to feed the whole family.
Do you listen to music when you run? Our readers are pretty split on this. We asked this question in a survey a while back and our readers were split: 39% listen to music and an additional 12% listen to podcasts/audio books while 42% ran with no audio and 6% prefer talking to a friend. Regardless of which of these categories you fall in, owning AirPods can be helpful for making calls on the go or listening to music. This model features active noise canceling and high-quality audio.
Here’s another Prime Day superstar. Amazon is running huge discounts on a variety of the Garmin lines. The Garmin Enduro is the ultimate multisport performance watch, featuring advanced solar charging, VO2 max tracking, and multiple global positioning networks. The Vivoactive is a more affordable line, but still features GPS, advanced fitness tracking, and music storage. The Instinct has similar features with a rugged, durable build. The Venu is stylish and functional at mid-price range. Check them all out here:
The Series 7 is currently the newest and most advanced Apple Watch. It includes a wide array of health sensing features: an ECG that connects to your mobile phone and can alert you of heart abnormalities, constant blood oxygen monitoring, and some of the most thorough fitness tracking features of any device. Also, compared to the Series 6, the 7 features a much more durable screen and faster charging.
Percussive massage has emerged as a trend among competitive runners and everyday athletes alike. It offers the benefits of a sports massage in the comfort of your home, and at an affordable price. These devices have been shown to release muscle tension, and the Theragun Elite is one of the best options. It features an ergonomic design, 120-minute battery life, 5 speed motor, and bluetooth connectivity.
Have you ever wondered what you could learn from one of the DNA test kits but not wanted to spend the money on one? This may be a great chance for you, as the 23andMe bundle is one of the biggest markdowns we found on Prime Day. And the insights go beyond ancestry and geographic regions. They provide in-depth health reports showing the chances you develop certain health conditions, how your body reacts to medication, and much more.
Earlier on the list, we mentioned the AirPods pro. If you haven’t bought in to the Apple ecosystem or want wireless bluetooth headphones that are a little bit cheaper, this is a great option. They feature noise canceling, balanced acoustics, and up to 8 hours of listening time on a single charge. They’re also water (and sweat) resistant, making them a great option if you like listening to music on your runs.
These moisture-wicking, cross-waist leggings come in a range of colors and inseams, and in standard and plus sizes. Prices vary based on size and color. The price listed below is for the white leggings in a size medium.
This tennis dress has a built-in bra, shorts with two pockets and adjustable straps for a comfortable fit. Crafted with ultra-soft material, this on-trend workout dress is great for lounging or breaking a sweat on the court.
Available in eight colors.
-NordicTrack T Series Treadmill
If you’re looking to keep up your training in the off seasons or after dark, the NordicTrack T Series Treadmill may be the way to go. With 10% incline and 10mph controls, this treadmill will keep you moving in your own home throughout the year at a reasonable price. Both the cheaper model with a 5-inch screen and pricier but still affordable 10-inch model are on sale.
We don’t talk enough about how important a component sleep is in a training plan. Beyond improving everyday mood, good quality rest can improve speed, agility, metabolism and more while reducing the chance of injury or illness. That’s why we were so excited to see a big discount on this high-quality mattress on Amazon. It features a comforting cooling gel layer as well as progressive support foam.
For 363 days per year, we support the local running community by shopping at our neighborhood specialty run shop, and other locally owned fitness stores. During the 48 hours of Amazon Prime Days, however, we can’t resist the savings and selection offered by the ecommerce giant.
We’ve shared our picks of the best bargains for athletes and made this list. Today and tomorrow only, the site that sells everything cuts prices on thousands of products, from toilet paper to flat-screen TVs. We’ve sifted through the chaos, to find the best Amazon Prime Deals for Athletes.
Remember, the deals are exclusive to Prime members. If that’s causing some major FOMO, fear not, since you can easily join Amazon Prime by clicking here.
#PrimeTime
Snack Ideas for Student Athletes
A few weeks ago, I went into Target and saw several products of foods we would personally recommend to my student-athletes and active adult clients. While we will always preach eating real foods, that are low processed first, these options are great for anyone with limited time and little to no cooking skills, but would still like to improve their health.
Many of these items and ideas are great for the pantry at home, to pack in a backpack, have on hand during summer break or for the college dorm!
Just because you are low on time, are stopping at a gas station, or are traveling, does not mean that you have to sacrifice eating healthy. Below are some easy and quick ideas for meals on a time crunch.
BREAKFAST:
- English muffin cut in half with sliced avocado paired with 3/4 cup Greek yogurt and mixed blueberries and raspberries.
- A glass of Fairlife chocolate milk or plant-based alternative + Kashi cereal
- Greek yogurt parfait: Make the night beforehand (Greek yogurt, berries, chia, nut butter)
- English muffin/Whole-grain pita wrap with mashed banana and peanut butter
- Toast + 2 oz. deli turkey + 1 oz. cheese + tomato wedges paired with chocolate CorePower
- Hard-boiled eggs + apple + string cheese
- Kodiak instant oatmeal+strawberries + Greek yogurt
- Kodiak Cakes Power Cup Muffins(12 g of protein but you can add milk and Greek yogurt to increase protein) + fruit for more energy!
- Kodiak cake frozen waffles or pancakes paired with grab n-go nut butter packets + 1 apple
- RX nut butter packets or Nuts ‘N More
LUNCH:
- Spinach bowl topped with two hard-boiled eggs + 1-2 tbsp chickpeas, raspberries, almonds + avocado slices + Kind bar
- Greek yogurt parfait, pepper/cucumber slices, apple, RX bar, cheese sticK
- Banza Microwavable lentil pasta + add pre-cooked meat + cheese + marinara sauce
- Whole-grain pita with 3 oz. deli ham + carrot sticks + kiwi slices + almonds
- Whole-grain turkey cheese, spinach, tomato sandwich with mashed avocado + mixed fruit cup + serving of whole-grain pretzels
- Tuna packet (17 g of protein)
DINNER:
- Microwavable sweet potato
- Grilled chicken salad: 2 oz of pre-grilled chicken added to a bed of spinach + romaine + ½ cup black beans/chickpea mix + mixed cheese blend, 1 sliced hardboiled egg, 1 tbsp. sunflower seeds with a dressing of choice. Highly recommend Bolthouse Farms Greek yogurt as a healthy dressing.
- Frozen bag of riced veggies cooked in the microwave that can be topped with edamame, salsa, in a whole-grain tortilla, shredded pre-made pulled pork, cheddar cheese blend with avocado slices.
SNACKS ON THE GO:
Snack pairings (snacks should contain protein and carb) for athletes and for less active days a protein + a plant/healthy fat).
- Snack pack nut butter + fruit
- Greek Yogurt Cup + Almonds
- Tuna Packet + Veggies
- Sting cheese + Applesauce
- RX Bar
- Fruit
- Grapes + Cottage Cheese
- Hard-Boiled egg, nuts, dried fruit (healthy trail mix)
- Hummus + celery/ cucumber/ carrot
- Teriyaki beef jerky
- Pre-cut bell pepper slices
- Serving of trail mix + 2 hard boiled eggs
SUPPLEMENTS:
Whole meals first, supplement second. Supplements are meant to satisfy small gaps in nutrition and to avoid nutrient deficiencies. Good nutritional habits must be established first. For additional guidance to ensure your athletes are meeting their protein and carbohydrate needs check contact us at info@basiclivingbr.com for Nutrition Coaching and Guidance. No supplement can replace whole foods. Eat real foods.
Next time you are out for a road trip, need a quick pick me up, or just forgot to plan your meals, referance this post for easy options that can be found even at a gas station. Don’t sacrifice eating healthy because of time constraints.
Happy healthy living!
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