If you’re the type of person who can work up a sweat without music pumping, well, good for you—but you’re definitely an anomaly. Most of us mere mortals rely on the heart-pumping beats of Beyoncé or Rihanna to get us moving.
It’s no coincidence that you feel as though a good song is the only thing that can get you through the hill climb in Spin class: There’s plenty of research to show that listening to a killer track at the gym can actually improve your workout and make you feel more motivated—or at least make the session less grueling.
One study shows that working out with music makes the exerciser less aware of their physical exertion (read: pain), and can benefit athletic performance by an impressive 15 percent. In fact, the music you listen to when working out actually stimulates the motor area of the brain as to when to move. So, basically, a solid tempo can help keep your own speed in self-paced movements like running.
So if you’re looking to shake up your workout routine (and instantly up your motivation levels) with an injection of fresh music, keep clicking. We spoke with 14 major fitness influencers—from Instagram stars to celebrity trainers and even fitness models—to find out what songs they’re listening to at the gym right now.
