Our Favorite Workouts Have Their Own Soundtracks

Saturdays and Sundays are precious, and a short yoga practice can make the weekend more meaningful. You might not have time to hit up a lengthy studio class, so plan ahead to flow through this 20-minute sequence. Your body and mind will thank you all day long.

Top track: "Hold On" — Alabama Shakes

Walk-run workouts aren't just for beginners, and this 45-minute playlist makes an interval workout a no-brainer. The walking tunes have a BPM to help you keep an active pace, but you'll be forced to kick things up and get running when the songs hit a more energized pace.

Top track: "Chelsea Dagger" — The Fratellis

Take the guesswork out of your home fitness routine with a quick and effective workout. This high-energy session focuses on building strong arms, and its fast pace will keep you engaged, helping the time fly by. Turn on the accompanying playlist, grab a pair of light dumbbells and a yoga or Pilates mat, and get ready to move.

Top track: "Countdown" — Beyoncé

Moving at one steady pace on the elliptical trainer gets boring quickly. Mix things up with this tough elliptical workout that changes with the music. Unless otherwise noted, pedal forward (normally) during each song. During three songs, you'll slow down, quickly change directions, and start pedaling backward. Not only will this keep you engaged with the workout, but it will also challenge different muscles in your legs and glutes.

Top track: "Crescendolls" — Daft Punk

By the end of a long workday, sometimes the only thing that sounds good is going home to snooze. Hitting up the gym in the middle of the day is a great way to make sure you stick to your workouts. Since this beginner-friendly treadmill plan is only 20 minutes long, you don't have to worry about being away from your desk and missing any important emails.

Top track: "Only the Horses" — Scissor Sisters

If you have a hard time staying on the elliptical for a full hour, try out this elliptical plan with its own soundtrack. You'll be changing the speed and resistance on the machine with every new song, so there's no time to get bored and hop off. While there are a few songs to help you recover, the vast majority of the songs on this playlist keep things upbeat and fast-paced.

Top track: "Armistice" — Phoenix

Interval training will help you reach your running goals, and this rocking 40-minute playlist will keep you feeling motivated. Not only has alternating between intervals of pushing your body to the max and slower periods been proven to help you lose belly fat, but interval training also revs up your metabolism.

Top track: "Hot 'n Cold" — Basement Jaxx

Calling all new runners looking to build up your stamina and strength! Let this one-hour walk-run playlist offer you a challenging — but completely doable — workout. Every song alternates between walking and running, allowing you the room to push your body and take a little time for recovery.

Top track: "Day Dreams" — Midi Matilda

Dedicate 20 minutes to tone up your backside with this quick butt plan. If you need music when you work out, you'll be happy to know that there's an accompanying playlist to help you keep time and stay motivated. Each song on this Spotify playlist alternates between two basic exercises.

Top track: "Roar" — Katy Perry

If you don't live near a SoulCycle studio, it's still possible to bring the spirit of this sweat-drenching cycling workout with you the next time you hit the gym. Lauren McHale, an instructor at SoulCycle Marin, is known for creating just the right tunes to inspire her students, and now she's doing the same for us! This 45-minute playlist will inspire you to knock out intervals, keep things steady, and even slow things down to a more meditative state. Whether you use it to run, cycle, or strength train, it will be hard to resist the urge to move when listening.

Top track: "Bubble Butt" — Major Lazer

Brand new to a running routine? Interval training, alternating between periods of walking and running, is the perfect way to start. Find a treadmill pace that keeps you walking and one that gets you running. Just plug into this 30-minute walk-run playlist — inspired by music at last Summer's Outside Lands music festival — and start moving accordingly. You start and end with walking, but the three songs in between will force you to pick up the pace and run.

Top track: "I Can See It in Your Face" — Pretty Lights

Burn calories and build up a serious sweat in just over 30 minutes with this elliptical workout! The accompanying playlist will only help to motivate as you switch up the speed, resistance, and direction.

Top track: "I Look to You" — Miami Horror, Kimbra