Skip to content
    skip to navigation

    Classic FM

    Listen

    On Air Now

    Smooth Classics with Margherita Taylor 10pm - 1am

    Smooth Classics with Margherita Taylor

    Now Playing

    Violin Concerto in C major Hob.VIIa:1 (2) Joseph Haydn

    Violin Concerto in C major Hob.VIIa:1 (2) artwork
    • Playlist
    • Schedule
    • Home
    • Radio
    • News
    • Discover Music
    • Composers
    • Artists
    • Lifestyle
    • Win
    • Charity
    • Podcasts
    • Events
    • Dating
    • Follow us on:
      Follow Classic FM on Twitter
      Follow Classic FM on Facebook
      Follow Classic FM on Instagram
      Follow Classic FM on Youtube

    Pictures

    More Pictures

    Exercise time! Classical music for working out

    Are you in the mood to get fit? Classical music for exercise is a tricky one. Do you go for relentless energy and fast tempos? What about warming up and warming down? Well, don't worry - we've got the perfect list of pieces to accompany you on your workout.

    1. Aaron Copland

      1. Aaron Copland - Fanfare for the Common Man

      Right, so you've dug your trainers out from the back of the cupboard, the sun is shining and you're ready for action. Get in the mood with Copland's 'Fanfare For The Common Man' before you take a single step - mental preparation is just as important as physical!

    2. Composer Bizet

      2. Georges Bizet - Prelude to Act I from Carmen

      Out of the blocks and onto the track! Well, out of the front door and onto the pavement, anyway. You can't beat Bizet for explosive energy, and this Prelude will get your adrenaline pumping from the get-go.

    3. Jogging

      3. J.S. Bach - Brandenburg Concerto no. 3, 1st mvt

      As steady as a rock, Bach's Brandenburg concertos make perfect exercise music. This one is fairly gentle too, so we recommend you put it near the beginning of your workout, just as you're settling into a groove…

    4. Gioachino Rossini

      4. Gioachino Rossini - Overture from William Tell

      The finale to this pulse-quickening little number is sure to get you going. Just try to forget that it's also the theme tune from The Lone Ranger.

    5. Strauss - On The Hunt

      5. Johann Strauss - Auf Der Jagd

      The title of this piece translates as 'On The Hunt', so you can expect some high-octane stuff. And, it being Strauss, there are some cracking tunes in there as well. Good one if you go running with the dog.

    6. Aram Ilich Khachaturian

      6. Aram Khachaturian - Sabre Dance

      Now that you're in a groove, you need something to keep the tempo high and make sure your pace doesn't slack. This Khachaturian number is a little bit fraught, but you can't argue that it's energetic and bound to keep you going.

    7. Torvill and Dean

      7. Maurice Ravel - Bolero

      Speaking of going steady, if there's one thing the Bolero is, it's steady. You might know it from Torvill and Dean's triumphant Olympic figure skating, but try working out to it - that steady rhythm all the way through is a perfect guide. Flouncy shirts optional.

    8. skiing

      8. Sam Fonteyn - 'Pop Looks Bach'

      Alright, this one's a bit silly unless you're skiing, but with a title like 'Pop Goes Bach' it's grabbed our attention. Not only that, it's a pretty good work-out tune too, especially for those frosty winter jogs around the park.

    9. 1812

      9. Tchaikovsky - Finale from 1812 Overture

      If you're really flagging, then this is the one to perk you up again. The slow start soon gives way to some amazing positivity in the shape of cannon fire and huge orchestral volume. If you're not sprinting for your life at the end of this one, well, it's time to get off the treadmill.

    10. jogging snow

      10. Edvard Grieg - 'In The Hall Of The Mountain King' from the Peer Gynt Suite

      This is a perfect one if you want to start slow and build to a sprint. By the time you've made it past the slow opening, you'll be ready to pick up some speed. Which is handy, because this furious piece builds to a shockingly quick finale. Maybe save this one for later in your work-out…

    11. beethoven's piano

      11. Ludwig Van Beethoven - Egmont Overture

      This is another one that starts slowly and builds to a delirious climax. The opening is actually quite doom-laden (just picture yourself lacing up your trainers), but by the time you reach the end you'll be running at top speed. Lovely stuff.

    12. jogging road

      12. John Adams - Roadrunner

      The story is that John Adams was inspired by a mixture of Schoenberg and the music from Warner Bros Cartoons (hence the name, perhaps?) for this piece. Whoever he was inspired by, it resulted in a fast and furious chase-style work.

    13. Hector Berlioz

      13. Hector Berlioz - March to the Scaffold

      Good one to warm up to, this. Probably best to ignore the fact that Berlioz wrote it about someone dreaming that they're about to be executed and who then ends up witnessing their own death, though.

    14. weightlifting

      14. Mozart - Symphony no. 25, 1st mvt

      Mozart himself was not renowned for his physical fitness, but his music makes a strangely perfect accompaniment to a vigorous work-out. We think this particular movement is perfect for high-energy exercise, so if you're on the weights in the gym then this is the one to go for.

    15. Howard Goodall's Greatest Movie Scores - 1980s

      15. Vangelis - Chariots Of Fire

      We couldn't leave this one out, could we? If you've been inspired by the Olympics, then what better piece to have in your earphones as you cross the finish line? Or as you get through the font gate, anyway…

    Latest on Classic FM

    A smaller, but still immense, 5,000 strong choir in Japan sing Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’

    Listen to this 10,000-strong Japanese megachoir sing Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’

    Beethoven

    The traditional ‘piping in of the haggis’

    The haggis gets its own entrance music on Burns Night – here’s what it sounds like

    Discover Music

    9-year-old violinist Sora Lavorgna plays Richter's 'Summer 1' in finals of 'Prodiges'

    9-year-old violin prodigy plays Max Richter’s thrilling take on Vivaldi ‘Summer’ in talent show finale

    Discover Music

    Kelvin Harrison Jr. stars as Joseph Boulogne in 'Chevalier' (2023)

    ‘Chevalier’ film: plot, release date, cast and all details about the Joseph Boulogne biopic

    Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2022

    Classic FM Live 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall: get your tickets to enjoy opera’s greatest hits!

    Events

    Martha Argerich Performs With The Youth Orchestra de Bahia in 2018

    Pianist Martha Argerich cancels performances due to heart-related health condition

    Martha Argerich

    John Williams makes history as oldest person to be nominated for an Academy Award

    John Williams makes history as oldest person to be nominated for an Academy Award

    Steven Spielberg confirms plans to make a documentary on film composer John Williams.

    Steven Spielberg confirms a documentary on film music legend John Williams is coming

    Discover Music

    Cellist HAUSER plays ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Lloyd Webber musical’s 35th anniversary

    Cellist HAUSER plays ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Lloyd Webber musical’s 35th anniversary

    Lloyd Webber

    Xiaole the piano playing robot

    Watch the piano-playing robot developed by leading AI lab that can also read human emotions

    Videos

    Best classical music

    See more Best classical music

    10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life

    10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life

    Discover Music

    4 eras of classical music

    The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide

    Discover Music

    The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

    The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

    Discover Music

    Women composers gallery

    21 of the greatest women composers in classical music

    Discover Music

    Best pianists of all time

    The 25 best pianists of all time

    Discover Music

    Some of history's greatest composers were part of the LGBTQ+ community.

    15 LGBTQ+ composers in classical music history that you probably already know

    Discover Music

    Latest news

    See more Latest news

    This week’s on-air highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery.

    This week’s Classic FM radio highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery

    King Charles’ Coronation Concert will take place the day after his coronation

    King Charles III’s coronation and concert: what music could feature over the Royal weekend?

    RIOPY

    Meet RIOPY: the unbreakable French pianist who escaped a childhood cult

    Discover Music

    Isata Kanneh-Mason and Classic FM’s Tim Lihoreau play piano duet at St Pancras station

    Isata Kanneh-Mason and Classic FM’s Tim Lihoreau play charming duet at St Pancras station piano

    Violinist Boglarka Gyorgy plays with a washing machine

    Violinist plays a surprisingly charming duet… with her bleeping washing machine

    Discover Music

    Cate Blanchett stars as Lydia Tár

    ‘I didn’t base the character of Lydia Tár on anyone’ – Cate Blanchett in conversation with Classic FM

    From Tár to Amadeus – the greatest films about classical music

    15 most memorable films about classical music

    Discover Music

    Ruan Crighton was a professional ballerina from England.

    Family mourns British ballet dancer killed in Nepal’s deadliest plane crash in decades

    Page turn fail

    Pianist’s page-turn nightmare as Chopin score goes flying across stage

    Videos

    Originally allocated nothing, the English National Opera is now due to receive over £11 million of Arts Council England funding

    English National Opera to receive 91 percent of original Arts Council funding – but for only one year

    ENO

    Latest videos

    See more Latest videos

    Tiny model train plays huge 2,840-note classical music medley with breathtaking accuracy

    Tiny model train plays huge 2,840-note classical music medley with breathtaking accuracy

    9 days ago

    Discover Music

    Hurdy-gurdy player cranks out a dark medieval melody

    Hurdy-gurdy player cranks out a dark medieval melody to give you goosebumps

    13 days ago

    Videos

    Jeff Beck at the Crossroads Guitar Festival

    When late rock legend Jeff Beck turned Puccini’s ‘Nessun dorma’ into a roaring electric guitar solo

    14 days ago

    Puccini

    David Bowie Life on Mars

    David Bowie’s isolated vocals from ‘Life On Mars’ reveals the true power of his tenor range

    16 days ago

    Discover Music

    France’s Cathy Féchoz and Fabrice Becker (circle) performing at the finals of the Ballet Ski demonstration at the 1992 Winter Olympics

    Unearthed footage shows virtuosic ‘Ski Ballet’ performed at the 1992 Winter Olympics

    22 days ago

    Discover Music

    Luciano and Fernando Pavarotti

    When Luciano Pavarotti sang with his 88-year-old father in an emotional duet

    23 days ago

    Luciano Pavarotti

    Back to top

    Also on Classic FM

    • Listen to Global Player
    • Alexander Armstrong on Classic FM
    • Google Doodle
    • Quizzes
    • Mozart
    • Debussy
    • Music theory
    • Instruments
    • Classic FM Live
    • Brahms
    • Vivaldi
    • Bach
    • LBC News
    • Tchaikovsky
    • Chopin
    • Andrea Bocelli
    • Florence Price
    • Beethoven
    • Best classical music
    • Classic FM Requests
    • Best pianists
    • Harry Potter music
    • Saturday Night at the Movies
    • Star Wars soundtrack
    • Composer or pasta
    • Music for Studying
    • Best violinists
    • Classical music tearjerkers
    • Relaxing classical

    Useful Links

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • How To Listen
    • About Classic FM
    • Company Details
    • Cookies
    • Privacy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Advertise
    • Global Jobs

    Download the app

    Get it on the app store Get it on Google Play

    Follow Us

    Follow Classic FM on Twitter
    Follow Classic FM on Facebook
    Follow Classic FM on Instagram
    Follow Classic FM on Youtube
    © Global 2023
    30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA
    Privacy Manager