My retro dream gym playlist !

"If music be the food of love, play on." So said Shakespeare, but ask a million gym bunnies and they'll say "if music be the food of motivation, play on" ! How many people do you see at the gym or running along the street who haven't got earphones stuck in their ears ? I rest my case ! You can't beat a cracking tune with a decent rhythm to keep your feet pounding on the treadmill/tarmac (or carpet if you're using a wii fit !) and a strong voice belting out some heartfelt lyrics can really lift your mood when your energy levels are flagging.

The Pure Gym Blog are running a competition asking bloggers to put together their ultimate gym playlist and I laughed at how cheesy some of mine are. You can tell I'm a child of the 80's because most of my playlist stops in the 90's !

Rhythm Is A Dancer by Snap ... reminds me of getting hot and sweaty clubbing in my student days so I can pretend that's why I'm dripping with sweat ! I like the slow start to kick things off gently before cranking up the speed.

Good Life by Inner City ... "No more bad times, only glad times in the good life ... good life !" I dare you to listen to it without smiling, however tired you are !

Pretty much anything by The Levellers will give me a second wind because it just throws me back to my happy, carefree student days but Fifteen Years has brilliant lyrics and the perfect rhythm to keep my feet pounding and my heart pumping.

Don't Let Me Down Gently by The Wonderstuff ... so old it doesn't even have a music video to go with it ! This always has me grinning and my feet just seem to automatically follow the pretty intense rhythm of the song. Guaranteed to keep my heartrate up and my mood lifted !

Altogether now ... It's The End Of The World As We Know It  ... And I Feel Fine ! (REM). So catchy and I like to play this at the end and change the lyrics in my head to "it's the end of the workout as we know it ... and I feel fine(ish !)"

After all the high speed stuff, it's nice to cool down with some more mellow tunes and Avril Lavigne always hits the spot for some gentle stretching and getting my breath back.

Yes, I know, it's all very cheesy and retro but it puts a huge smile on my face, even when my energy levels are flagging, which is definitely the most important thing when you need an extra push. Incidentally, this works just as well as a pick-me-up after a long day at work even when I'm not working out, and it's also great for high speed hoovering and window cleaning !

Disclosure : This is my entry for the What's Your Dream Gym Playlist? blogger competition.