Move Your Body

I put together this workout playlist before recently running the “Wacky Snacky 5K” here in Chicago. I consider it a success because I didn’t want to flip songs at any point while running the race. A helpful tip: don’t listen to your workout playlist until you start the race. That way, the songs and order will be new to you and keep you interested while you’re running or working out. Good music can be the key to keeping you motivated while exercising. Here is a good mix of songs to keep your body moving:

Rodeo Clowns, Jack Johnson (a good warm-up)

Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne

15 Step, Radiohead

I Don’t Wanna be in Love, Good Charlotte

Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), Beyoncé

Fences, Paramore

Paranoid Android, Radiohead

I Write Sins Not Tragedies, Panic! At the Disco

Disturbia, Rihanna

Honey, Moby

Mercy, Duffy

Wind It Up, Gwen Stefani

Dance, Dance, Fall Out Boy

Rehab, Rihanna (good cool-down)

So I didn’t get through all of these songs while running the 5K, but this will give you a good workout playlist regardless if you are running a race or just working out for an hour or so. Leave your favorite workout songs in the comments! We’d love some new ideas!

Tara and her car

I’ve been thinking more about Tuesday night’s episode of The Biggest Loser. For the first part of this week’s challenge, contestants were able to distribute the pounds they have lost so far (in the form of colored bars) to their competitors’ scales. Tara had a sob fest afterwards because she felt everyone had been ganging up on her (Blah, blah – you’re WINNING and the biggest threat. Of COURSE people are going to gang up on you!). But she was able to successfully channel her rage into the second part of the challenge – eventually winning the whole thing. Contestants had to pull cars (yes, actual cars) with their bodies a 1/2 mile. Each car was weighed down with the extra weight that other contestants had distributed to them during the first part of the challenge. Tara had an extra 257 pounds on her car – more than any other contestant. This girl was able to come back and BEAT EVERYONE – pulling her heavy car across the finish line – easily beating everyone.

Just a great lesson from Tara and reality tv on self-talk and motivation – keep talking yourself through it. Even when the odds are against you, even when you want to quit, even when people are telling you you’ll never do it. Keep going, believe in your strength and your abilities. Step by step, one foot in front of the other. And you just might cross the finish line faster than anyone else.

Tara pulling her way to first place

Images courtesy of NBC.com

Congrats to Kristen for breaking a Biggest Loser record and reaching 100 pounds lost at the ranch! No other woman has done this on the show before! Why is this show so addicting? Every time the weigh in happens, the moment of suspense is the EXACT SAME before they cut to commercial. Why am I continually surprised!?!?