Music is one of the most powerful motivational tools you can use when working out. It can lift your performance, keep fatigue at bay, and kill boredom. Its impact on our physical efforts has made it a ‘must have’ when training.

The seemingly ubiquitous iPod has been hugely influential in increasing the popularity of running with music. Just three years ago, for example, 25% of runners ran with music; today, only 25% run without.

The most critical element when choosing your music is the tempo or, what is known in the trade as the beats-per-minute (B.P.M.). The preferred B.P.M. is between 120 and 140 which is in the range of most commercial dance music. Interestingly, it is also similar to the average person’s heart rate during a routine workout.

Choosing the right music for working out has a scientific basis. Studies have demonstrated that listening to music can improve workout results. We tend to exercise longer and more enthusiastically to music, and it also distracts us as we begin to tire.

Among the popular songs to work out to are ‘Into the Groove’ by Madonna, ‘Wake Me Up’ by Wham and ‘Pump It’ by the Black Eyed Peas. The most popular workout song by far, however, is ‘Gonna Fly Now’, the theme from the film, Rocky. Apparently this song provokes the listener to be both optimistic and excited.

But perhaps the next time you need to listen to something motivational to carry you through a hard run, you might consider playing ‘The Heat is On’ by Glenn Frey. This is not a random suggestion. It comes from a man who has made a career out of studying the effects of music on physical performance. Dr Costas Karageorghis, an associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University in England, has been rating the motivational qualities of music for different physical activities for more than a decade.

Music to encourage us to get moving during group fitness classes is an industry unto itself. According to Fernwood’s exercise physiologist, Maryanne Long, commercial providers create a musical plan that will inspire and lift while at the same time making it empathetic to the movements done in class.