just work it out

{photo credit: weheartit.com}

you know how when you were a little kid, and you got new sneakers, you were convinced that they made you jump higher and run faster? when i say convinced, you and i both know that's honestly what happened. i swear as soon as i put on my hot pink, k-mart brand, tweety bird high tops, i was speed racer. this was key at nine years old because this is the age i started chasing boys. (one in particular i would chase around after church on sunday. i'd catch him by the collar and then hit him repeatedly with my bible. this is surprising to me on two levels. one: that i haven't been struck down by lightning because i used my bible as a weapon. two: he's still friends with me.)

years later, it's not the shoes that give me the power but the MUSIC. when i have a crazy good workout playlist, i can crank out another set of lunges or squats. i can pretend that i'm a meathead and grunt when i do my shoulder presses. if i've got some good jams blaring in my ears, i wipe the sweat from my brow and do 10 more girl push ups which really impresses the cute boy beside me doing one-armed push ups.

music is especially inspiring to me when i'm on a run. i'm sure i don't look nearly as cool as i think i do, but i feel pretty powerful when i've got jesse mccartney singing in my ears,

"you're banging like a speakerbox." 

yeeeaaah, still listen to him. 

sometimes, a good playlist is the thing that actually motivates me to go to the gym because as much as i like to exercise, i also like to sit around and eat bon bons. when i know that i have a stellar playlist waiting for me to rock out to, i'm more likely to put the bon bon down. or at least finish the bon bon and then go to the gym.

so, from my ipod to yours, here are several songs that give me that extra "pizow." that's really a word.

important to note: some of these songs are not appropriate for water aerobics class with your grandma. unless she's the kind of grandma who would take you to see a lil wayne concert. if this is the case, she probably doesn't participate in water aerobics at all. more like roller derby.

banquet : bloc party
steady shock : girl talk
black & gold : sam sparro
body language : jesse mccartney
coming home : diddy
triple double : girl talk
hold the line : major lazer
i can transform ya : lil wayne & chris brown
little secrets : passion pit
lost!: coldplay & jay-z
let it : machinedrum
you're a jerk : new boyz
1901 : phoenix
look at me now : chris brown
you be killin em : fabolous

do you have any suggestions for good workout songs? what's your style? rap, alternative, yonni, the soundtrack to high school musical? do you prefer to work out without music?

what do you like to do for good exercise? do you go to the gym? do you like to hike or take long walks? yoga? spinning classes? chasing down a good deal at tjmaxx? share! also, if anyone has a good recipe for bon bons, i'd be really interested.