What is a workout without music? From motivating us to push ourselves through a grueling HIIT session to helping us get in the right state of mind for meditation, music is a powerful tool to pair with exercise. A 2020 study found that listening to high-tempo music while exercising increases its benefits and decreases the perceived effort involved. Not sure where to start when making a workout playlist? Read on for our best tips.

1. Match your music to your exercise.

Your playlist is obviously going to be different if you’re practicing yoga versus doing cardio. The key is organizing your playlist by BPM (beats per minute) and structuring your playlist to match your workout goals. In yoga, Barre, or Pilates, you’ll want to aim for songs that are 60-90 BPM, whereas higher-intensity workouts like HIIT require 140-180 or more BPM. There are a lot of different tools you can use to determine the BPM of each song, some of which are built right into the music streaming services themselves or compatible third-party apps. And, if you’re practicing an Alo Moves class on the platform, you can turn on the music feature and rest assured that you’re getting the perfect music to match your movement.

2. Build momentum.

With any workout playlist you make, you’ll want to make sure you consider the track order and build momentum to match your workout. Start off with songs that have a lower BPM that can match your warm-up and build in intensity, around 100-140 BPM. Don’t forget to include a song or two at the end for cool down, aiming for 60-90 BPM.

“I usually build a playlist off of one song and go with the mood. I also create a cadence to the playlist based on the BPM so the energy shifts with each song and it takes you through a journey. I’m all about a workout with a good playlist!”

— Roxie Jones, Alo Moves fitness instructor

3. Make a few playlists for different moods and motivation.

Every day won’t be the same — some days we’ll find we have more energy and motivation to work out, while others will have us dragging our feet. Have a few different playlists on hand to match your mood and keep you from getting tired of hearing the same tunes over and over. Try organizing by music genre, artist, energy, or decade as a starting point.

4. In a playlist rut? Try Alo Moves playlists.

If you’d rather have the work of crafting the perfect playlist done for you by someone else, check out our Alo Moves playlists on Spotify. We’ve got playlists for every mood and occasion, including Better Sleep, De-Stress & Calm, and Self-Love, as well as instructor-curated playlists by Ashley Galvin, Briohny Smyth, and more.