One of the newest trends in the exercise world is creating playlists that promote running at a specific cadence. Cadence is the amount of times your feet strike the ground in a given period of time. Typically to measure cadence, the amount of steps on a single foot is counted for a minute and the number is then doubled to get the number of steps on both feet. Your specific cadence puts your body into a rhythm, tending to make the movements of running easier and allowing the body to go further distances. Speeding up your cadence also reduces the likelihood of having improper running form. Below is a picture that depicts a slower cadence on the left, and a faster cadence on the right:
There are many factors that affect a persons cadence including height, weight, experience with running, leg & stride length, and injuries. Below I have included the “common cadences” based on running ability.
- Average runners: 160-170 steps per minute
- Elite runners: 180-200 steps per minute
However, cadence can be improved with practice. The easiest way to shift your cadence is through a metronome. Metronomes are little hand held devices that click a certain number of times per minute based on the cadence you set. Therefore, when you run with it, each step on the ground should line up with each click on the metronome.
I can’t imagine anyone wants to run with a metronome, however, so music is the next best bet. There are many different playlists that you can create or preset ones that are already set at your specific cadence. Everyone’s music preference is different, however, so you may have to do a little digging to find songs in your genre of choice that fit the specified cadence. Below I have compiled a small list of popular songs that hit the most common cadences.
155 cadence:
Everybody Talks- Neon Trees
I Don’t Want to Be- Gavin Degraw
Humble Neighborhoods- P!nk
Free Me- Foo Fighters
Nine In the Afternoon- Panic! At the Disco
Out of My Head- Fastball
Freewill- Rush
Unbelievers- Vampire Weekend
170 cadence:
Nothing Without Love- Nate Ruess
Trumpets- Jason Derulo
Good Life- Kanye West
Sugar- Maroon 5
FourFiveSeconds- Rihanna
Uma Thurman- Fall Out Boy
Happy- Pharrell Williams
California Gurls- Katy Perry
180 cadence:
Lose Yourself- Eminem
Wake Me Up- Avicii
Stereo Hearts- Gym Class Heroes
Sail- AWOLNATION
Stronger- Kanye West
Pump It- The Black Eyed Peas
I Bet My Life- Imagine Dragons
Good Feeling- Flo Rida
Challenge for the day: Take a look at some of these songs and give it a shot on your next run. Even if you don’t typically like running with music, knowing there is a true function to listening may give you the push to keep listening. If you aren’t seeing your specific cadence on the small list I created, do a little research! There are hundreds of playlists for different cadences already pre-made and an endless number of songs you can put on your own playlist if you wish to customize it. Seize the opportunity to try something new today…
Keep on running,
Kiera
Resources:
