Good swimming routines depend on smooth strokes and solid techniques. Many swimmers find that the right we’ve literally felt in our bones all along — that the right combination of volume, tempo, and lyrics can improve swim speed and time as well as boost the overall experience. A study following five swimmers showed an increase in their stroke rates from an average of 37-40 without music, to 42-43 with music.

How Music Can Improve Your Lap Times

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Swimmers in the study reported greater focus when swimming to music, and found that the music’s rhythm was more important to their increased speed than the lyrics or volume. The music used in the study included the triumphant tones of the Indiana Jones Theme Song, Michael Jackson’s Beat It, and Lose Yourself by Eminem. These are some obvious choices to add to your swim playlist. When scientists tested songs to see how they amp up excitement and improve performance in the pool, the most effective beat ranges are those that fall between 125-140 beats per minute (BPM).

For a great playlist from start to finish, it’s most effective to begin with something a little slower as you feel out the water’s temperature and buoyancy and begin to warm up. A top choice to warm up in the waves is Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Not only does the emotional song offer a warm, mellow starting tempo and rhythm at 96 BPM, but it finishes with an inspiring crescendo. Best of all, the lyrics are almost too perfect, with words like, “I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in, I’ll never meet the ground …”

How To Create The Perfect Playlist

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After warming up to Shallow, begin speeding things up with the fun 2003 hit, I Believe in a Thing Called Love by the English band, The Darkness, at 128 BPM. Then follow it with the uber-cheery Shake it Off by Taylor Swift at 160 BPM. Next, start to wind things down a bit with Run, Run, Run, by OneRepublic with its whimsical whistling intro, uplifting sound, and 117 BPM. Finally, cool down and feel good about your workout with Shakira’s sexy song, Hips Don’t Lie.

Depending on how long you work out, your playlist can include swimmer’s favorites like Mozart’s Symphony Number 40 in G Minor for motivation, Kiss from a Rose by Seal for sleek sound with lyrics like, “My power, my pleasure, my pain," and Kiss’s I’m Gonna Rock and Roll All Night for an eclectic swimming mix. Finally, to stretch things out, one Olympic swimmer confesses that she listens to the classic American Pie by Don McClean through her best underwater headphones as part of her swim workout playlist. Then she sings the entire song in her head to track her time during competitions because she learned she can complete the 500-yard freestyle before finishing the 8-minute song!

No matter what songs you add to your personal playlist for the pool, the right music can elevate your mood, increase your speed, and then help you wind down. Try ending your swim with a relaxing back float to the sweet, haunting sound of Swimming Pool by Emmy the Great.