A Motivating Playlist to Power Your Morning Workout

You don’t have to read much about fitness before you inevitably start hearing about the magic of morning workouts. I’ve espoused this idea several times. I love starting my day with exercise, and I  genuinely feel like it sets the right tone for the whole day.  Part of that is because my hour of sweat is usually the only “me time” that I get these days. Another reason is that it usually puts me in a good mood (gets those endorphins pumping, right?) which means I face whatever challenges the day holds with a clearer head and (hopefully) a calmer attitude. 

Having said all that, morning workouts often feel a bit like eating kale. We know it’s good for us, but it just seems so damn hard sometimes. Over the years, I’ve learned that preparation is the key to success. In my bag of tricks: Putting out my clothes, sneakers, and headphones the night before so I can dress in the dark without thinking. Going to bed early (duh). Avoiding social media and emails until after my workout is complete. And making sure I’ve got a killer playlist queued up. 

That’s the idea behind this week’s lineup. The track’s on this list are all upbeat and have quick tempos—but they’ve still got just enough chill to help ease you into the day. I don’t need DJ air horn sounds at six in the morning, but I still need enough of a rhythm to motivate me to move (and not just relax in child’s pose for five minutes—which has happened). On this list, you’ll find remixes from Ed Sheeran and Anderson .Paak, and some go-to favorites, like Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Calvin Harris’s “Slide.” As with the other playlists I’ve created, there’s a rough order to this one (a few songs up front to ease you in), but you should feel free to skip around as you see fit. Check out the playlist on Spotify below, or keep scrolling for the complete track list. Up and at ’em, folks!

Full playlist: