Tag: gym

Most popular workout tracks for January gym return revealed 

  • A new analysis of monthly Spotify playlists reveals the most popular songs for a January workout, as Brits head back to the gym
  • ACRAZE’s Do It To It proved best for getting hyped back up after Christmas, as well as Eminem’s Till I Collapse and The Chainsmokers’ Closer
  • Google searches for new gym memberships have increased by 111% since the end of December – perhaps due to New Year’s resolutions

A new analysis of user’s monthly Spotify playlists has revealed which tracks are best for getting hyped for the gym again in January – with ACRAZE’S Do It To It on top. 

The research, conducted by fitness experts Fitness Volt, analysed over 9,353 tracks from Spotify’s most popular January gym and January workout playlists to determine which songs feature most – creating the ultimate back-to-gym playlist for the new year. 

ACRAZE’s Do It To It – featuring girl group Cherish – is the best-suited track, appearing in seven of the playlists analysed. With a tempo of 125 BPM, the song is ideal for cardio.

Next up was Eminem’s Till I Collapse, also appearing on seven playlists, which would work well for a high-intensity workout thanks to its higher BPM of 171. The third-most popular track was The Chainsmoker’s Closer, which appeared in six workout playlists. 

It makes sense that high-tempo songs appear frequently in January playlists, given many people are now getting back to their usual workout routines and will be trying to hype themselves up again after the festive break.

Some artists also appear more frequently in gym playlists than others; Lizzo is amongst the most popular, with featured tracks including Fitness, Water Me, Grrls and Truth Hurts.

Other artists that appear numerous times across the analysed playlists were Kanye West, Big Sean, Flo Rida, Rihanna and Tiesto. 

Top 20 tracks for January workouts

  1. Do It To It, ACRAZE
  2. Till i Collapse, Eminem
  3. Closer, The Chainsmokers
  4. The Motto, Tiesto
  5. Elated, January’s Blessing
  6. Where Are You Now, Lost Frequencies
  7. INDUSTRY BABY, Lil Nas X
  8. POWER, Kanye West
  9. Shivers, Ed Sheeran,
  10. The Box, Roddy Rich 
  11. Can’t Hold Us, Macklemore
  12. Stronger, Kanye West
  13. Numb/Encore, Jay-Z
  14. Acapulo, Jason Derulo
  15. Abcdefu, GAYLE
  16. Levitating, Dua Lipa
  17. We Own It, 2 Chainz
  18. Boom Boom Pow, Zafrir
  19. HERO A, Yuki Hayashi
  20. Feels Like Summer, Weezer

There’ll also be an influx of new gym-goers who have dedicated themselves to pursue working out as their New Year’s resolution, and who’ll be listening to more motivating music. 

It seems that Brits are already keen to get themselves back to working out, with Google Trends data showing that searches for ‘gym memberships’ are 111% higher now than they were at the end of December. 

A spokesperson at Fitness Volt commented on the findings, saying: “Many gym-goers will find it hard to motivate themselves to get back to working out after some time away from the gym – and one of the best ways to amp ourselves up is to listen to high-tempo music.

“For those who are looking to create dedicated gym playlists, it’s recommended to include some slower tracks that will work for warming up and cooling down after your workout. You may also want to consider noise-cancelling headphones to enhance the experience.”

Experts reveal five tips to get back into fitness after a Christmas break

After much needed time to relax with family and friends over Christmas, getting back into your routine in the new year can be quite the challenge, specifically when it comes to working out. In fact, research shows that one third of Brits admit to doing no exercise at all in December, so it’s vital to start the preparation early.

However, it doesn’t need to be so difficult – experts at Fitness Volt have highlighted five tips to ease yourself back into a workout routine after the festivities.

Set specific times

Scheduling your workout time is a simple yet effective step. Getting back into the right frame of mind after the Christmas buzz is just one of the ways you will have to readjust, and it can certainly take its toll on you. So, without a gym schedule, it’s likely that you will make plenty of excuses to not partake in any exercise. Consider your day-to-day schedule and choose your workout slot based on where you have the most free time – this way, you can mentally prepare yourself as well as avoid any excuses that you are too busy. Plus, a planned exercise slot will ensure that your workload won’t take over, as it’s a given that you will be getting back into a busy work routine, too.

Don’t overexert yourself

While pushing yourself is usually encouraged in fitness, it’s sensible to not push yourself to the extreme, particularly after some time away from exercise. Whether it’s weightlifting or cardio, doing too much exercise can lead to overuse injuries including muscle strains and tendon injuries, thus making you a lot less capable of meeting your fitness goals. After some time off, it’s natural to not be able to lift as heavy or run as far – so it’s crucial to not let it discourage you, as you will soon gain your ability if you stay consistent with your exercise. As well as this, overdoing it can lead to a burnout in the early stages and make you dread a workout as opposed to enjoy it. If you feel yourself giving up, try to commit to five minutes and finish your workout if you don’t feel capable of doing anymore; but with this five-minute rule, it will likely motivate you to do more.

Personalise your workout

Fitness lovers aren’t necessarily all gym-goers. In fact, there’s plenty of ways to workout which don’t involve the gym – and this is key for making it an enjoyable part of your routine again. If you’re a nature enthusiast and wish to do more cardio exercises, go for a run – or even a walk – at your local beach, local park, or even around your neighbourhood. Alternatively, if you’re into strength training but don’t enjoy the gym atmosphere, invest in equipment such as dumbbells and kettlebells to work out from the comfort of your own home.

Partner up

Finding a friend with similar fitness goals is beneficial for many reasons, one being that it acts as motivation after some time away. For the days that you don’t feel like exercising, a fitness partner can motivate you to get ready and get it done – plus, during a workout, your partner can even push you to take it to the next level, such as lifting a slightly heavier weight or increasing the incline setting on the treadmill. Having a partner can also keep you accountable to stay on track of your fitness plan, and recognise any goals that are yet to be met. Better yet, it makes it a time to socialise so that you look forward to it more, not to mention your partner can spot you to make your workout safer.

Set short term goals too

It’s always important to think of the long-term result; doing so allows you to plan your workout and figure out which exercises are best suited to your needs. However, having only a long-term goal can become frustrating when you aren’t seeing progress straight away, and can even result in you to give up completely – which is especially easy to do when you’re trying to get back into your routine. Therefore, it’s vital to set goals over shorter timeframes that are manageable, as well as not just focusing on your appearance. For example, you may wish to become stronger, so a short-term goal for the end of a month could be to increase your squat load by 20 kilograms.

A spokesperson from Fitness Volt has commented: “When it comes to Christmas, the last thing that needs to be on our minds is working out – it’s a time that we wish to be spending with family and friends, and it’s important to make the most of that. However, it can be difficult to find our motivation to get back into it from some time off.

Thankfully, there are simple steps that can increase your ambition again as well as make your workout more enjoyable to ensure that you can stick to your fitness routine in the new year and, as a result, enjoy the Christmas festivities without feeling guilty.”

The research was conducted by Fitness Volt which is a comprehensive online resource dedicated to Strength Sports, from healthy eating to exercise and everything in between.