One of the best things about running for exercise is that there’s little startup costs because you really don’t need any equipment. However, there’s one part of the essential running kit that tends to get glossed over: earbuds. Listening to something while you run can be a great way to pass the time and focus your mind away from the challenge of your exercise. Best of all, if you’re looking for something to listen to, you have a lot to choose from.
Get Pumped With Some Killer Music
A lot of people choose to listen to some upbeat music while they run because it doesn’t just distract from the run – it motivates them to push it into higher gear. And it’s true. You might not even like listening to pump-up music in your spare time, but add some physical energy into the mix and you’ll find that the two go hand-in-hand. That said, it might take a little time to find what works for you. Some people find the most success running to hip-hop beats, while others can only work out with ‘80s hair metal blaring in their ears.
Laugh and Learn With Podcasts
We can thank “Serial” for bringing podcasts into pop culture, but they’ve been around for quite some time. After all, podcasts get their name from the iPod – you remember that, don’t you? In any case, these days, you can find podcasts in just about any subject. You can brush up on your science, learn about history subjects you slept through during high school, or just laugh while listening to comedians improv. There are truly more podcasts than you’ll ever have time to listen to, meaning that there’s a lot of gold out there waiting for you to find. Listening to podcasts while you run can be a great way to improve your mental and physical strengths at the same time.
Get Caught Up in Audiobooks
Podcasts can be very educational, but because many of them take anywhere from a half-hour to an hour to cover a subject, they simply don’t go as in-depth as you might want them to. If you find this to be the case, consider picking up an audiobook to listen to while you run. Just as there are podcasts built around every conceivable subject, there are also audiobooks for just about anything. If you choose to listen to a fiction audiobook, it can be motivating to hear what happens next, pushing you to pick up those earbuds and continue your run.
Use Your Imagination to Your Advantage With Running Story Apps
Perhaps listening to some energetic beats or an engaging story isn’t enough for you. What if you were being chased by zombies? While you might have better things to do that go for a run if the zombie apocalypse hits, there are some smartphone apps that put you inside an interactive story to motivate you to run farther and faster. These apps use professional voice actors to lead you along a story that can range from anywhere the motivational to, yes, the zombie apocalypse. Check your smartphone’s app store to see what kinds of running stories pique your interest.
