Running playlists: How music can inspire you during your run

The ideal running playlists have an upbeat tempo of more than 120 beats per minute, motivating lyrics, and, most importantly, songs you love. Here's how to create yours.

When it comes to my running playlist, the bigger and faster the beat, the better. Give me some boom-chick-boom-chick — something I can pound my feet, my arms, my "I've got this" attitude to. Think: The Chainsmokers, Regard, Juice WRLD.

My husband hates my music and is convinced I listen to it out of a masochistic desire to train myself to push through adversity. Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" is his ultimate running song. I get that the lyrics are motivating. But the beat gives me confidence in my napping ability, not my running ability.

The one artist we can agree on is Eminem. His songs have the confidence-building, "grab the moment" lyrics he loves, and the beats I crave.

Poll any two runners about their perfect running playlist, and you'll probably get a similar story. But no matter how dissimilar runners' musical preferences, there's no dispute the right running playlist (for you) can move you to new heights.

What makes the best running playlist?

Tempo

Experts have long recommended running playlists based on tempo, or beats per minute. The reason comes down to running cadence — how often your feet hit the ground when running.

Most running coaches recommend for the best, fastest form, everyday athletes take between 150 and 180 steps per minute, that's 75 to 90 per leg. While this is more of a generality than a rule — your ideal running cadence depends on factors like your height and leg length — it's why, if you search for "running playlists," the songs you'll get will have mostly 150 or more beats per minute.

The idea's that, when running, you unconsciously time your foot strikes with the beat of the music you're listening to. It's believed that running with an ideal cadence automatically improves how your feet hit the ground, your efficiency, the impact throughout your joints, and your risk for running injury.

But the benefits of fast-paced music may extend beyond foot strikes. In a Psychology of Sport and Exercise study, researchers had runners sprint under three different conditions: while listening to "motivational" music with more than 120 beats per minute, while listening to a podcast, and without anything to listen to.

When people sprinted to upbeat music, their heart rates and speeds were higher than when they listened to a podcast or nothing. Plus, runners said they enjoyed those sprints the most. While researchers note that this was during sprints rather than long, slow runs, it gives some credence to my beat-heavy running playlists.