Sometimes getting motivated toward exercise can be harder than the workout itself. That’s why it helps to think of your gym time as a middle school dance: You’re going to feel awkward and hug the wall until a really great song comes on.
With that in mind, we’re rounding up our favorite workout tracks, from fresh remixes to old favorites. Get ready to catch yourself humming through your jog, training circuit, or yoga practice. And, don’t worry, Bricé makes an appearance.
Bruce Springsteen:Born to Run:
Not man has ever been as adept as The Boss at capturing the feeling of escape in rock music.
Propelled by the ace rhythm section of the E-Street Band, “Born to Run” is Springsteen’s most enduring anthem—a call to arms (and legs) for tramps like us with an instinctual need to put our motors to use and flee.
Eminem: Lose Yourself:
Marshall Mathers penned “Lose Yourself” to motivate aspiring rappers like the one he portrayed in 8 Mile, but his rousing words ring just as true for athletes hoping to achieve greatness.
Eminem’s take on the classic message of giving 110 percent sticks because of his undeniable conviction—and that aggressive beat, of course.
Bill Conti: Gonna Fly Now (Rocky’s Theme):
Conti’s iconic, trumpet-laden Rockytheme may be coated with several layers of cheese, but the song is no less effective at doing its job—instigating its listeners to rise above adversity and kick some ass—because of it.
If there’s a song better suited for an inspirational montage, we haven’t heard it.
Tom Petty: Runnin’ Down a Dream:
Petty has roughly 371 songs in his repertoire that espouse the virtues of chasing your dreams, but none hammer the point home as well as “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” and that’s largely due to its simple lyrics and no-frills chorus.
And with a bluesy guitar riff that constantly sounds like it’s racing toward the finish line, the song acts as a de-facto running buddy.
Kanye West: Stronger:
Undeniably huge with industrial-sized synthesizers and a vocal sample lifted from techno titans Daft Punk, “Stronger” is relentless.
With a credo for a chorus that every competitor can get behind—“That that don’t kill me can only make me stronger”—West crafted a song to help us push through pain and complete that last, toughest mile.
Cake: The Distance:
Cake’s ‘90s hit is ostensibly about a lonely racecar driver, but its lyrics freakishly describe what every runner who’s ever churned through a marathon has felt by the midway point:
“They deftly maneuver and muscle for rank, fuel burning fast on an empty tank. Reckless and wild, they pour through the turns, their prowess is potent and secretly stern.
Elvis Costello: Pump It Up:
Driven by a steady, albeit frenzied backbeat that veers from awesome into straight-up nauseating territory by the final coda, “Pump It Up” is the pub-rock equivalent of an alarm clock:
It keeps going and going, employing the same repetitive organ hook until you’re prompted to get the hell up and hit the pavement. If only every song could be so motivational.