With all the time I have logged doing different types of cardio, I have discovered what I call “Cardio Utopia”. Similar to the “runner’s high”, it is a state of mind in which you escape to a euphoric world while your physical self disconnects and continues to burn calories. In this post I will share how to find Cardio Utopia and how I use the “Keep On Spinning” playlist to get there.
1) Be Tired
When planning a trip to Cardio Utopia, it actually helps to be tired. The more tired you are, the easier it is for your mind to escape into a trance. I don’t know about you, but this part is effortless for me (just ask my husband). Most days, I feel normal, but at least once a week I feel especially tired. Sometimes it’s attributed to stressful work days or lack of sleep, whereas other times there are no clear reasons for feeling tired. Therefore, I save my Cardio Utopia tickets for my tired days.
2) Choose Steady Low-Impact Cardio
Next, the type of cardio workout you choose will determine if you have the right kind of transportation or not. When selecting your workout, it is best to choose a steady, low-impact type of cardio exercise. Some steady cardio workouts to try include the elliptical, the recumbent bike, treadmill walking on an incline, bicycling, or a light endurance run. Select a resistance level that is tolerable for a good length of time. This works perfect on tired days when I don’t feel like embarking high intensity interval running.
3) Listen To A Hypnotic Playlist
The ticket for admittance into Cardio Utopia is the right soundtrack. Many of the EDM tracks in this particular playlist fall into the subgenre of trance. If you listen to BPM on SiriusXM, you may recall the Sunday series “A State of Trance” with Armin van Buuren. The late 90’s and early 2000’s was a prolific era for trance, but it is still widely produced today in the indie community. Trance elements still appear on popular EP remixes as well. Almost all trance has a subtle but steady bounce accomplished by the repetition of two wide pitch frequencies, mimicking the art of binaural beats.
The science of neuro-acoustics explains how the brain translates binaural beats by creating a third tone within the alpha wave range. Alpha waves in the brain are associated with a deep relaxation while still having an awareness. Therefore, incorporating trance into your playlist will help attain that out-of-body cardio experience. If this “Keep On Spinning” playlist doesn’t work for you, then try some pure trance stations on Digitally Imported instead. You can select from Classic Trance, Vocal Trance, Dark PsyTrance, Epic Trance, Goa-PsyTrance, Psybient, and many more. Digitally Imported is a free music service with the option to pay for high definition sound.
4) Let Your Mind Escape
Once the alpha state of mind is attained, my mind transports to a bright colorful world I call Cardio Utopia. I forget about all the stressors in life. Time stands still. The next thing I know is I look down and realize that forty five minutes of cardio have gone by. I leave the gym with a renewed mind and five hundred calories burned. Not only do I hope you attain Cardio Utopia for yourself, but I hope this “Keep On Spinning” playlist will motivate you on your most tired days. Happy spinning and trancing!
