The 'Best of Everything' Top 25 Playlist: Music to Make You Move!

Okay, so you've made a commitment to exercise more, bought a new pair of running/walking shoes,  gotten the green light from the doctor, have your iPhone (or some other smartphone) strapped around your arm or waist, and watched " Running After 50" from "The Best of Everything" AARP YouTube series for motivation and inspiration. You're ready to rock and roll . . . but . . . wait! There's one more thing . . .

Before heading out the door, you need to get pumped up with the right music: songs that will make you want to  move your body . . . every single day!

The combination of running and walking (see the video, below, for all the details of the program) is one of the best ways to lose weight, burn fat, pump your heart, blow off steam, and get your creative juices flowing. The best part? You can do it anywhere, any time . . . and it's free! But, it can get boring if you don't have the right music to keep you motivated. I can speak from direct experience on this point.



When I first started running after I turned 50, I noticed how I would sometimes start to slow down, frequently glancing at my watch, hoping that time would pass more quickly. Then, I got my iPhone and my teenaged daughters started loading it up with music performed by artists they knew I loved - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Sheryl Crow, The Romantics and so many more. (True story: I actually trained for the 2011 New York City Marathon by listening exclusively to Tom Petty, my running buddy.)

Since then I've added a few more artists to my playlist, some recommended by my daughters, like the Hurricane Bells and Mumford and Sons. Others have been introduced to me by Facebook and Twitter friends, and still more I've discovered by listening to indie rock stations on the radio (yes, I listen to the radio). If you saw the first Twilight movie (which I did, and loved), you'll recognize two of the songs on this list from that, as well. It's a fun, eclectic group of tunes that will keep you moving - not too fast, not too slow - for well over an hour.

Research shows that you work out longer and have more fun doing it when you listen to music, so I hope that you'll get lots of mileage out of this playlist, which you can download to your mobile device if you have a Spotify account. But, please . . . share  your favorite workout tunes with all of us in the comments section below.



I'm the  National Osteoporosis Foundation Ambassador for Bone Health and a fierce champion of positive aging. For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70 ...) check out  "The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts' Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More" and  www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you're doing by  subscribing to me on Facebook and "tweeting" me on Twitter at  @BGrufferman.  Check out the full video series- "The Best of Everything" - on the AARP YouTube Channel.

Photo credits: bestofeverythingafter50.com