I love..running: 4 rules for running better
Have you ever done something with music and had the feeling of doing it better? Walking down the street with your iPod in your ears on a beautiful sunny day, feeling like the protagonist of a movie?
I have. Actually, I’ve also experienced the exact opposite; while running, struggling up a hill with two irons instead of feet, and that damnably wrong rhythm that made me slow down instead of giving me the final sprint. There’s no denying it: music makes the difference, and now I have proof. I stopped choosing my playlist randomly: when I prepare to go running, I select the music I like best, of course, but with the right bpm.
A friend recommended it to me, and he was right. Wikipedia, the bible by definition, confirms it: music and heart travel on the same frequency. It says: “Beats per minute (bpm) are a unit of measurement of frequency, used primarily for metronome indication in music and for measuring heart rate.”
Here are the rules I discovered.
No. 1 Start warming up with a track under 100 bpm (beats per minute).
Today I chose “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan
No. 2 Ready? Now start running with tracks that maintain 115 BPM, the perfect rhythm for sustained aerobic activity.
Go with “Love Magic” by John Davis.
No. 3. Rule number 3: the hardest of all. The one where you have to choose: yes or no, go beyond or stop.
Push past your limits and make the final sprint, or settle for the “better this than the couch” approach. To dare beyond, you need to reach a rhythm around 128 BPM… here it is for you, the essential “Sylvester – You Make Me Feel”!!
No. 4 And now enjoy Paradise! You feel ‘great’…and you feel good, too good.
Adrenaline at 1,000, ready to conquer the world. But it’s time to cool down, relax, breathe deeply (maybe not too deeply if you’re in the city center :/)…listen to your body and heart: stay under 100 BPM.
There you have it, what do you think? Could this work as a tracklist? Obviously, all famous pieces from the DISCO MUSIC repertoire, ’70s, the ‘dance’ music par excellence, unique for its engaging and exciting rhythm…what would you recommend?
