Remix #41. Making music that is impossible to exercise to
Oct 24th by JonI listen to sermons while exercising.
I know that sounds so Christian it probably makes your teeth hurt, but it’s true. For the last month, whenever I’ve gone jogging, I’ve listened to a sermon on my iPod.
Prior to that, my exercise playlist was a grab bag of songs like this:
Freedom – Rage Against the Machine
B.O.B. – Outkast
Big Casino – Jimmy Eat World
Clubbed to Death – (Kurayamino Variation) – Rob Dougan
Big in Japan – Alphaville
When Doves Cry – Prince
But a few weeks ago my good friend Brannon told me that listening to sermons helps distract him from the distance limits his mind tries to put on his jogging. He can go for longer runs when he’s engaged in listening to a sermon. And it pours truth into him while he exercises. It sounded weird at first, but I downloaded a few podcasts from Erwin McManus, Craig Groeschel and Francis Chan and tried it.
I love it now. It’s turned my evening exercise into this unexpected moment of teaching. Don’t get me wrong, songs like Clubbed to Death and Hysteria by Muse are still the jam, but it’s hard to argue that I’m not getting more out of listening to a sermon than I am the Armand Van Helden remix of “Toxic” by Britney Spears. (I know, I know, not only am I a horrible Christian for having that song on my iPod but I’ve got ridiculously mediocre taste in music as well. Both things are issues. God’s working on the first one but I think He’s given up on my taste in music.)
The other reason I dig the sermons is that I’ve always felt that Christian music is not the greatest exercise music. When I first posted that idea a few months ago, people came up with some suggestions like Family Force 5 and Skillet but I don’t think we ended up with a definitive exercise playlist though.
So what’s on yours?
What Christian music is good to exercise to?
Comments
I like to listen to Flatfoot 56 when I go running. But any kind of punk/hardcore/metal is good for me. The fast drum beat keeps me going.
Lecrae! You can’t tell he doesn’t get you worked up to work out!
HELLO! Old school: Jesus Is Just Alright and Big House. I can’t believe no one has suggested those two songs. Oh and by the way, there are some major music snobs here. “No good Christian music out there?” At all? C’mon…that’s just not true.
MUTEMATH.
Oooh Yes! I feel you on this one. Mhhmm. I went through the same dilemma. Sometimes lyrical depth or interest is unsatisfing. (You may like one or more of these). These are results of 'similarizing' with Rihanna, Soulja Boy Tell Em', and Akon.
On the mellow side, when you are not working out, stream some Sufjan Stevens*, or try Wilco, Miles Davis, Jose Gonzales's "Heartbeats", Thelonious Monk, The Velvet Underground, Satyajit Ray…
Hip Hop/R&B:
-Kierra Kiki Sheard “You Don’t Know”* “You’re the Only One”
-Canton Jones “The Professional”* “Living Clean”
-Trip Lee "Superstar*
-Mary Mary “Get Up”* “Superfriend”
-K-O’s “Sunday Morning”*
-Onitsha “Don’t Give Up”
-Damita “No Looking Back (Pop Gospel Mix)”
-Deitrick Haddon “Let Me Go” “Love Him Like I Do” “Where You Are”*
-L.A. Symphony “Get Out the Van”
-Lecrae “Nobody” “Prayin for You”
-This’l “Calvary”* “Not Enough Dope in My Rhymes”
Rock/Other:
-Duffy “Mercy”
-Flyleaf “All Around Me” “Fully Alive”
-Delerium & Sarah McLachlan “Silence (DJ Tiesto’s in Search of Sunrise Edit)*
-India Arie "I Am not My Hair"
I am shocked that no one (that i could see) has suggested the David Crowder Band!!
especially their “sunsets and sushi” cd…all crazy weird remixes of some of their already crazy fun songs.
check it out…
I can’t believe you mentioned that specific mix… It is awesome! Dare I say it? MUCH better than the original…
I listen to sermons on my iPod too! I agree with you, I think it’s more effective to distract me from counting down the miles than listening to a song.
I am SOOOO late adding to this but the Tribe’s stuff is great to exercise to (esp Jumping in the house of God). I agree with Misty morning mountain please can we have something on the prosperity “gospel”? That would make me smile!
Shout out to Mistymorningmountain! You rock! Sitting on our fat *sses with our laptops – yes, we are, reading about exercise.
I think there’s plenty of good upbeat music coming from the Christian community, since Larry Norman broke us in years ago with lyrics such as “Jesus is the rock, and my name is on the roll.” I mentioned World Wide Message Tribe, as did a couple others, and someone mentioned Switchfoot – but there are so many others!
Whether you agree with that or not may have to do with the condition of your heart – not your literal heart but your spiritual heart.
We had aerobics at our church for while and all of the exercises went with Christian music.
–Spirit in the sky – my personal favourite
–Forever – this one is good because you can just sing the echo and you don’t get too out of breath from trying to spit out all the words
–Dancing Generation
gabrielle eden -
I appreciate the shout out, especially because it brought to my attention the fact that my previous comment contained a typo. (I really should read those things before I publish them.)
Anyway, I typed in my “fat” *ss, when of course I meant “phat” *ass.
Oops! I meant *ss – sorry!
Which reminds me of an amusing (or not) story.
My 11 year old son recently asked, “Mom, you know how the bible says that Mary rode on an ass? I wonder if it was a big ass? Do you think it was a big ass?”
Honestly, I don’t know where that kid gets it from…
Another “sermon-cizer” here.
I do mix up my R.C. Sproul and Mark Driscoll with some…
Echoing Green
Plumb (Remixes)
Rebbecca St James (Her up-tempo stuff)
Superchick (The song “One More” is excellent for pull ups)
Dominic Balli. Everyone needs to check him out.
I’m a little late, but almost anything by Toby Mac is a great work-out/running soundtrack. “We got momentum, baby.” (And I second or third Superchic[k].)
I had a hip hop class in college. We learned a combination to this track with an “ay mami” intro and a hook like a Peter Pan villain.
Cop this, cuz’ it’s reppin’J-Squad. (That’s Jesus, not Jon.)
GRITS – ALL FALL DOWN
P.S. Nickel Creek does a cover of Toxic that is…beyond.
I saw them perform it live at Austin City Limits. Maybe not for running, but definitely for savoring on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWQo0bktuAI
back when I used to go to the gym in college (mind you, I HATE the gym, but for some reason I went – I think it was peer pressure) I listened to Delirious. Some songs you might have to cut out, but their upbeat ones really got me going.
I think it is hilarious that some of you chose to use this forum as a “Brittney is on my iPod” confessional. This has nothing to do with exercise music but in the spirit of these revelations, I have a Hannah Montana song. My daughter had been to a Subway and the kids meals offered a free download of a Hannah song. I made her a playlist and justfied it being on my iPod by including other music we both like such as Caedmon’s “Bus Driver” and some James Taylor. By the way, anyone know where you can get an mp3 download of “Jesus is a friend of mine”? (The original Sonseed version.)
p.s. – puntidi
Jimmy Needham is the bomb!
LeCrae and faster David Crowder songs are on my ipod for working out.
Any Christian Metal band is where it’s at…
Also, I saw someone post that Chevelle was christian. They most certainly are not. Hello, when bands curse and drop F bombs in their lyrics, that should be a red flag. Their old stuff is clean, but the new is trash.
I enjoy bands like Underoath, The Devil Wears Prada, Demon Hunter, As I Lay Dying, Advent, War of Ages, Becoming the Archetype, August Burns Red, Burden of a Day, and yes less hardcore bands like Wavorly and Relient K. Releint K is probably my all time favorite…
so I just stumbled upon this while looking for “Christian music running mixes” fancy that, huh? anyway- I love listening to Christian music while I run- it pumps me up and keeps me going…here are my favorites:
- We Shine- Fee (great song!)
- Break Free- Hillsong United
- We Won’t Be Quiet- David Crowder Band
- Goodnight Gravity- Falling Up
- Take It All- Hillsong United
- Neverending- David Crowder Band (this song is one of my favorites!)
- Foreverandever Etc- David Crowder (another favorite!)
- The Time Has Come- Hillsong United
- Reptilia- The Strokes (while not Christian- a great running/elliptical song!!!)
- From God Above- Hillsong United
Intrestingly enough. Whenever I’m of road biking (and only off road biking) A song comes up in my head that, always get’s me pumped. It only comes up then at that time and nver again. I’m thinking of writting it down next time. I think it had some analogy of Jesus being a life guard with something to do with staying above the water. This had been the only thing to really pump me.
OH I have the best song, Turn on the Lights by Sanctus Real has to be on the playlist…it gets you pumped…
We've got a lot of great Christian exercise music that will be released on the website December 8th, 2009. Four are flat out exercise songs. Check us out!
http://ChristianBoys.com
I've always liked the Supertones for exercising. Bleach (please, God, please let them get back together to release just ONE more album!) has some upbeat tempo ones that are perfect for a brisk walk or jog.
And, I've got to agree with Nessie. Love me some Muse.