You’re working out. Yay! Being healthy is the jam. Maybe you’re an early adopter of one of the five fitness trends crushing 2017, or maybe you’re dipping your toe in the water with a seven-minute workout. But whatever your activity level, one thing’s for sure: You need some seriously great tunes to exercise to. And who better to talk song selection with than someone who curates class-powering playlists on the daily? Tevia Celli — longtime cycling instructor and CycleBar’s director of class experience — breaks down how she builds the best music sets for her heart-pumping spin classes and shares a playlist you can take straight to the gym.
1.Keep it top-of-mind. If you have a big race coming up or a new class you’re nervous to try, consider waiting until right before the big day to make your playlist. “I like to make my playlist the morning of each of my classes — even if that means waking up at 4:30am to make a playlist for a 6am ride,” says Tevia. “The music then reflects my mood. I teach better when I am aligned with the music and teaching from a place of authenticity,” she adds.
2.Don’t get too niche. For Tevia, who teaches classes of up to 30 riders, broad appeal is critical. “Music for the Masses” is her driving motto: “I make sure I hit the majority of music genres in each class, because all it takes is one song for someone to love a class.” If you’re creating a list just for you, be sure to spread the love, mixing in lots of new favorites and old faithfuls.
3.It all comes down to emotion. “I start my playlist by picking one song that I want to hear, one that inspires me or one that makes me feel something powerful,” explains Tevia. “I can then translate that feeling in the class and can work the rest of my playlist around that one song.” She compares the process to building a movie soundtrack, saying, “The one song or feeling that I want to bring into a room has to be placed in the perfect position of the ride so that my riders can experience the same feeling at the right time.”
Hitting the gym or going out for a run? Check out the Spotify playlist Tevia put together just for you, right here.
Tweet us your favorite tracks @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)
