Up in the gym just working on my fitness

Kat

I run. A lot. Because I like dessert. A lot. It’s January, and I know that many people are trying to find the inspiration to get back into some sort of workout routine following the holidays. I feel you. Music is a big motivator for me. I’ve run three marathons, and believe you me, the only thing getting me over those finish lines has been Outkast, Ben Rector (yes, Ben Rector), or some sports movie soundtrack. My playlist is all over the map, so I thought I’d share some of my favorites from various categories. Shall we?

Soundtrack Category:
If you see me running in Atlanta and I’m gesticulating wildly, chances are I’m listening to a soundtrack.

“This is Me”-Greatest Showman
“From Now On”-Greatest Showman
“The Other Side”- Greatest Showman
“Space Jam”-Quad City DJs (pipe down with the judgement)
“Another Day of Sun”-LaLa Land
“You Can’t Stop the Beat”-Hairspray

Rap Category:
Sorry, mom but I know a lot of these songs by heart. When I show my skills at different times and wow my friends, I say it’s because of how much I run, but it’s probably because of how much 95.5 The Beat I listened to in my Mazda Protege. That’s why all the songs in this list are from the early 2000s.
RIP Murph Dog and CJ in the Morning.

“Yeah”-Usher
“No. 1”-Nelly
“Ride Wit Me”-Nelly
“Til I Collapse”-Eminem
“Lose Yourself”-Eminem
“Can’t Hold Us”-Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
“Dance Off”-Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
“Work It”-Missy Elliott
“Look at Me Now”-Chris Brown
“Heart of a Champion”-Nelly
“Dangerous”-Ying Yang Twins

Pre 1989 Category:
Hear me out on these. Yes, Paul Simon and George Harrison have a place in your workout. And are they “oldies”? Probably not, but go with it.

“Call Me Al”- Paul Simon
“My Mind Set On You”-George Harrison
“Make My Dreams Come True”-Hall and Oates
“Longest Time”-Billy Joel
“We Didn’t Start the Fire”-Billy Joel
“Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” Frankie Lemon and the Teenagers
“Burning Love”-Elvis Presley
“Seven Seas of Rhye”- Queen
“Bicycle Race”-Queen
“Take on Me”-A-Ha

Pop Category:
Ok. I can’t be sure that these should all be in this category. Can “Hey Ya” be considered ‘pop’ if the first time I heard it was in 8th grade at Gatewood Schools in Eatonton for a basketball run-out song? I can’t be sure. But I’d say that at some point most of these have been or could have been on TRL, and for that, they belong in this category.

“Hey Ya”-Outkast
“What’s My Age Again?”-Blink182
“Whole Lotta Woman”-Kelly Clarkson
“Mr. Brightside”-The Killers
“Grown Woman”-Beyonce
“Look at Her Now”-Selena Gomez

*I’m going to go ahead and apologize for the amount of Taylor Swift that I listen to. We’re the same age. She gets me. She should have her own category. Whatever.
“Ready for It?”-Taylor Swift
“Look What You Made Me Do”-Taylor Swift
“This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”-Tay Tay
“I Wish You Would”-T. Swift
“I Forgot that You Existed”-T Swizzle
“Paper Rings”-Yes. Taylor
“Me!”- Ok. Fine. I’m Done.

Alternative Category:
This might be my favorite because I would assume that these aren’t ones that people likely have on a playlist already. But they are tried and true. And weird. Just like me.

“Dog Days Are Over”-Florence and the Machine
“Alright”-Judah and the Lion
“Over My Head”-Judah and the Lion
“Why Did You Run?”-Judah and the Lion
“Quarter Life Crisis”-Judah and the Lion
“Take it All Back”-Judah and the Lion
“Shotgun”-George Ezra
“Drive”-Ben Rector
“The Beat”-Ben Rector
“Let the Good Times Roll”-Ben Rector
“Celeste”-Ezra Vine
“Find My Way”-Gabe Dixon
“Cats and Dogs”-The Head and the Heart

Thank you for letting me score your new health journey.