A group of boffins in Australia set out to discover which music is best for jogging. They analyzed runners who listened to pop, metal, opera, classical and reggae as part of their workouts.
Bottom line is that if you’re looking to reach a personal best, you should avoid reggae and opera. At the top of the list? Metal and pop. It all comes down to psychology and the kinds of feelings various genres arouse in us. Reggae is just too easy-going and languid. Opera? Too cerebral. Classical? Most of it is too calming. Metal, on the other hand, is aggressive and aggression can be motivating. Those who preferred pop tended to focus on the sing-along lyrics as well as the beat, something that allowed them to dig deeper. Anything with a beat was also good because people could match their cadence to the song.
Happy running.
© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Ad Choices