Running with legal music

It’s getting close to summer — you can’t hide in a hoodie any longer. Are you feeling guilty watching the lean bodies of marathon runners speed past as you drink cheap beer in a lawn chair? You should be. But at WPGU, we chose to pass no judgments! Instead, we’d like to help motivate you into a healthier lifestyle. The first step to finding a good workout is finding a good soundtrack. We’re about to do the first step for you!
If you run, buy (or legally download), all the music Daft Punk has ever made. French Robots burn calories faster than any other type of robot. Girl Talk gives his music away for free, so get that too. Those mash-ups are sure to keep you running even when you start to taste the KFC Double Down you ate for lunch. The garage rock revival might not have lasted as long as critics predicted, but The Strokes, OK Go and The Hives all make great music for working out. Indie dance music like Hot Chip, Of Montreal and Passion Pit sound great when you’re bouncing on an elliptical, and Brits like Arctic Monkeys and Los Campesinos make stationary bikes fun! And don’t forget rap and hip-hop: Kanye, Jay-Z and The Wu Tang Clan have the pumping bass necessary for a long run. I argue that the best work out song ever is Outkast’s “B.O.B.” It starts loud and strong but manages to keep it up through the entirety of the song.
If you prefer to lift weights, call up your high school gym teacher and get a copy of “The Football Weight Room Mix CD.” Standout tracks include Guns & Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine,” Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Tool’s “Schism,” Rage Against the Machine’s “Testify,” Slipknot’s “Duality” and, most essential of all, Metalica’s “One.” These songs are sure to get you pumping up with protein and impressing your eighth grade cousins.
So now that you know what to listen to, what excuse do you have for not working out? You live in America? I guess that’s a fair point. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wear a dirty, white T-shirt that clings to your pale gut when you go to the beach. Oh well!

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