fitness

The playlist that motivates Mia Freedman to exercise.

I exercise every day. And I do, essentially, the same exercise every day. I also do it in the same place – at home. So with all this mind-numbling sameness, how do I stay motivated? Music. And podcasts. And sometimes Netflix.

Gretchen Rubin, author of Better Than Before, a book about how habits can make our lives better, has a great piece of advice about ingraining a habit into your life when it’s something you don’t particularly want to do.

For many people (most?), exercise would be one of those habits. Rubin suggests: bribery.

Well, basically. She says you need to link the think you don’t really want to do, to something you DO want to do.

LISTEN: The Mamamia Out Loud team share the recommendations that will make your life better, including a playlist you’ll want to sing along to at the top of your lungs.

My friend Bec, only lets herself watch her favourite Netflix show (whatever it happens to be at the time) when she’s on the treadmill. I save particular podcasts for when I exercise and lately, I’ve been pumping myself up with music.

When you stop going to clubs and bars and parties and you grow old and wisened and lose control of your pelvic floor (woo! aging!), you can find yourself suddenly realising that you never listen to pumping beats anymore. And that’s a bit sad because who doesn’t like a driving beat or a catchy hook?

Who doesn’t like Beyonce singing Crazy In Love or Salt N Pepa singing Let’s Talk About Sex or C&C Music Factory belting out Things That Make You Go Hmm…

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Exercise before-and-after selfie. I don’t exercise to look hot (although I do get very very hot and also sweaty). I do it for my mind and to feel healthy but mostly for my mind. Exercise (anything, even walking) helps with my anxiety immensely and it makes me a nicer person (endorphins plus less anxiety) to everyone around me. Also happier. It seems to me that social media, particularly Insta, has encouraged an obsessive emphasis on what you wear and how ripped or skinny you look during/after exercise and I want to push back on that as much as I can. With my sweaty face. For other women and for me. So here I am, wearing an old exercise bra and ratty singlet, feeling great. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????#mamamiasummer #sweatyselfie

A post shared by Mia Freedman (@miafreedman) on

If you’re not wrinkling your brow in confusion right now, you are probably over the age of 35 and have I got a playlist for you.

To motivate myself in the mornings when I’m on the treadmill and need some extra ooomph, I made a playlist called Mamamia Gen X Party and I cannot recommend it highly enough as a motivator. From Kylie to Basement Jax, Deee-Lite, Queen, The Spice Girls, Wham!, Outkast, Daft Punk, Devo and Bananarama, just put your hair in a scrunchie and go nuts.

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You can find it in Spotify here:

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