When it comes to exercising, some students on campus like fast-paced music that gets their blood pumping. For some, having an upbeat playlist helps their body max out its capabilities, while a slower tempo helps others maximize their workout.

Not only does a workout playlist offer a distraction from the outside world, it also puts you in a zone that elevates your mood as you focus on keeping your body moving.

The P.E. Complex is normally packed during the week, full of students who are putting in, roughly, an hour or two of workouts.

Eliot Kafka, an NEIU freshman and active user of the P.E. Complex said, “Every Wednesday, I work out for two hours – Monday and Friday for one hour.” He listens to various pop songs like the Italian “Shadilay” as he works out.

Working out is an act of keeping your physical, mental and emotional side in sync. The right music can set the mood and energy that’s put into the process of exercising, so be sure you have your favorite artists ready to play before your workout.

“What goes into a good workout playlist really depends on preferences,” said NEIU freshman Maria Ponce. “I personally like to listen to empowering songs, such as Beyonce, to get me in the right mindset.”

She continued: “I don’t normally change up my workout playlist because I found I am very productive with certain songs than others. My brain knows when I hear these songs that it is time to get to work. As for equipment, my songs do differ for which I use. If I am running, I listen to more fast-pace music. If I am doing weights and/or body weight exercises, I tend to listen to slow paced music. This is because I like to synchronize my actions with the beat of the music.”

Joseph Michael, another freshman at NEIU said, “My playlist really depends on my mood. When it comes to working out, I’ll literally listen to anything. I don’t even like Selena Gomez, but I’ll end up listening to her. As far as how often I workout, ideally I would like to workout everyday- except on Sundays, but in reality, I’ll end up working out 3-4 days out of the week.”

NEIU freshman Lysette Santiago said, I think a good workout list includes songs that are very fast paced and have a lot of bass.” When working out, a good beat could get your blood pumping and your limbs moving. She continued: “I listen to mostly Excision when I work out. I usually do for about an hour. And to me, the music is good for running, lifting, and core. I don’t add to my list often only because my favorites are my favorites, so I can listen to the same 20 songs forever.”

Brian Saez, a freshman at NEIU said, “For me, it’s the beat/motivation  lyrics that hypes me up to proceed in my daily workouts because it’s like a coach that motivates your mind, physically and mentally to do more than what you expect yourself to do, which is why I listen to Eminem a lot because he has that motivation to speak out and make sure that you keep moving. ‘Lose Yourself’ and ‘Till I Collapse’ is what I listen to a lot because it gives me that ‘inner strength’ to keep moving.”

NEIU freshman Davi Nil said, “Usually rap works. I like listening to anything that’s fast when I’m exercising. I use the music to keep pace.” Keeping a fast pace music that matches the flow of your exercise really pushes you to continue.

Through the handful of students who shared their musical preferences, I was able to compile a useful list of artists that can be added to a workout list.

Dubstep: Phiso, Excision, Midnight Tyrannosaurus, and Dion Timmer. Also check out these artists who help the mind stay focused: Marshmello, Skrillex, The Black Keys and Fall Out Boy.

Those who tread around rap, hip-hop and R&B music can check out The Weeknd, Jay Z and Missy Elliot. These artists’ music hold rhythmic beats and a flow that persuades the mind to push the body to match it’s tremors.

A playlist containing a mix of electronic dance music, rock, metal and pop should give you no problems in building up a good rhythm for a successful workout.