March 27, 2013

Letters From Lanki: Using Music to Fuel Your Workout

Hey Everyone,

I have another guest blogger for you guys! Meet Lanki, she's a fabulous girl I met on a conference when I was 16 and although we haven't been able to see each other often, we've stayed friends ever since! Lanki will blog on health and fitness mostly, with a few suprises thrown in when the occassion calls for it. I hope you enjoy her first post :)



Dear Readers,

My name is Lanki and I’m so happy to be a part of Christalin’s amazing blog. She’s such a smart and beautiful person and since we met in 2008, we've become good friends.

In 2011, I was on quite the heavy side, so I made a goal for myself and lost 15 pounds in 10 months through consistent exercise.  There are a few things that need to be grasped when working out in order to make it into a successful routine. One of them is having the right music to motivate you, and I thought I would share my insight on how that can help you workout successfully. Whether you are a jogger who already has a solid set of songs, or more of an elliptical person who wants to start building up a workout play list, this blog post might be just for you.

To me, it’s all about the “feel good” music, music that makes you feel good from the heart.  And when I workout, I like to have music that makes me feel sexy, confident and powerful at the same time, because that is how I want to feel during and after workout sessions. It’s all about looking and feeling good when it comes to working out!

So firstly, look for songs that you genuinely like. It can be by any artist, from any genre and era. I have songs by Katy Perry like “California Girl” as well as “You make my dreams come true” by Hall and Oats. Even backstreet boys and spice girls do the trick!  I feel like these songs help me pass the time because I would just simply enjoy listening to them while working out. Then, look for songs that don’t drag or slow you down. I like to specifically listen to songs that are upbeat or fast because they help me gain momentum and keep pace. Songs like “Don’t you worry child” by Swedish Mafia and even “Price Tag” by Jessie J are my go-to tunes.  I’ll admit, I have a few One Direction songs to help me feel fun and alive while working out too. There’s a reason why they call it “Pop” music right? I feel like songs by the girl power band “Girls Aloud”, are also such great songs to use when working out, especially for girls as most of them bring out that inner sexy and confident female boss in you! I recommended you give them a try if you haven’t.

Finally, go for songs that you truly love. This goes back to the “feel good” music idea, even if it’s a slow and meaningful song like Adele’s “Turning tables” or “Your body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer. As long as you enjoy it and helps you keep your mind off some of the hurdles of working out, then you’re good to go!  Slow and chilled out songs are great for when you are stretching and/or cooling down.

Here’s a little sample of my work-out list to give you an idea of what I’m talking about:
1.       Girls Aloud – Jump
2.       Taylor Swift – 22
3.       One Direction – Kiss You
4.       Journey – Don’t Stop Believing
5.       Blink 182 – All the small things
6.       Avril Lavigne – Happy Ending
7.       Beyonce – Crazy in love
8.       Karmin – Brokenhearted
9.       Carly Rae Jepsen – Call me maybe
10.   Cher Lloyd – Want you back
11.   Olly Murs – Dance with me tonight
12.   Avicii – Levels
13.   Ed Sheeran – Give me love
14.   John Mayer ft. Taylor Swift – Half of my heart
15.   50 cent ft Eminem and Adam Levine – My life

It really is as simple as that! Have fun while you workout! It shouldn’t be agonizing. You CAN make it to the finish line with little snippets of information and motivational tips like this. Throw some Justin Bieber in there, a bit of One Direction, maybe some classical music, dance music or even jazz. Whatever you prefer, whatever gets you going on the machine, you’re the boss. Remember, don’t be shy about it. No one else can hear you. It’s just you, your music and your workout session!

Good luck and have fun!

With love,
Lanki

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