5,000-Step Girl Power Walking Playlist

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There are some days when it’s just hard to get up and get moving—and, for some reason, a disproportionate number of those days seems to fall in January. I don’t know about you, but this year has been absolutely exhausting—and we’re not even two weeks in yet. I toasted the new year with an extra dose of Sudafed before diving into the chaos of snow days and school delays and driving to and from practice and games—all while trying to figure out where I left off when I shut down for the holidays. The world is crazy, and Hollywood is on fire. Oh, and it’s been ridiculously cold, too—and I’m not a fan of cold.

In times like these, we all just need a little extra inspiration—and motivation. A little bit of extra strength and power. And that’s why now is the perfect time to add a little extra girl power to your daily walks. I’ve got nearly 45 minutes of music here to pump you up and keep you moving—even on the days when you’re just not feeling like it.

A little more about the playlist:

I’ve included a number of different ways to listen.  I’ve got YouTube videos posted below.  If you want to download the MP3, I’ve also got links to find them on Amazon.  Or you can listen to the whole thing by playing the Spotify playlist.

For each song in this playlist, I’ve listed the beats per minute, the pace (in minutes per mile) that you’ll be walking if you’re walking to the beat, and the number of steps that you’ll take during the song if you keep up that pace.  We’ll start with an easy pace and work our way up, finishing with a cool-down.  The songs here eventually build up to a pretty brisk pace, but take it at a pace that works for you—whether that means moving faster or slower.  You’re totally allowed to dance and sing your way through this playlist, too (in fact, it’s almost guaranteed).  If you follow the pace of each song, you’ll be over 5,000 steps (or around 2.5 miles) by the time you reach the end. If you’re looking for more steps, feel free to play it again—or move on to another one of my playlists. You can find them all on the Playlists page.

1) “You Gotta Be” by Des’ree

When you’re feeling tired and unmotivated, this song will remind you to keep moving. As we warm up for our walk, let that chorus become your mantra:

“You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser.
You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger.
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together.
All I know, all I know
Love will save the day.”


Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 94
Pace: 21:17
Steps: 384

2) “Independent Women (Part 1)” – Destiny’s Child

Queen Bey has always been all about the girl power—starting in her early days in Destiny’s Child. So no girl power playlist would be complete without at least one of these empowering tracks. In fact, I struggled to narrow down all of the Beyoncé-led options. (Spoiler alert: there will be more)


Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 98
Pace: 20:24
Steps: 361

3) “Stronger” – Britney Spears

Through the years, poor Britney has definitely gone through her share of ups and downs. Haven’t we all? But no matter how your day (or your month…or your year) may be going, there’s something about this song that can make you stop and belt out the lyrics—and feel a little stronger when you’re done.

Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 108
Pace: 18:31
Steps: 365

4) “I’m Every Woman” – Chaka Khan

As we pick up the pace on today’s walk, we’re diving into some girl power classics—starting with this 1978 Chaka Khan hit that will remind you that you’re an absolute rock star. Because anything they want done, baby, you do it naturally (and you keep doing it, day after day after day).

Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 114
Pace: 17:33
Steps: 475

5) “Respect” – Aretha Franklin

Through the years, there have been some great girl power hits (a lot of which are right here on this playlist), but I just don’t know if it gets much better than Aretha Franklin belting out her request (demand?) for “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.” It’s another one of those classic hits that you can’t help but sing right along with her.

Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 115
Pace: 17:24
Steps: 284

6) “I Will Survive” – Gloria Gaynor

This song will always remind me of my college days, when my friends and I would gather around to help one of the heartbroken get over a breakup. (Our rendition always came complete with dramatic dance moves.) There’s nothing quite like this song to take you from sorrowful and powerful in just over three minutes.

Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 117
Pace: 17:06
Steps: 386

7) “Control” – Janet Jackson

It may have been a while since she released her greatest hits, but Janet Jackson is another one of the great girl power icons. I may have still been in elementary school when this song was released—far from being “all grown up”—but it’s a song that’s stuck with me ever since.


Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 120
Pace: 16:40
Steps: 706

8) “Me Too” – Meghan Trainor

Meghan Trainor tends to pop up on most of my playlists—because her music tends to be fun and upbeat and inspirational all at the same time. I just love how playful this song is—celebrating just how awesome her life is and how great it feels to be her. It’s a great song about just loving who you are right now.

Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 124
Pace: 16:08
Steps: 374

9) “Firework” – Katy Perry

Katy Perry is another one of those artists whose songs are just brimming with color and energy and inspiration. If you’re ever feeling less than, this is a song that will pull you right out of your funk.


Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 124
Pace: 16:08
Steps: 471

10) “Confident” – Demi Lovato

Sometimes we all need a little extra boost of confidence—and this track by Demi Lovato is the kind that will un-hunch those shoulders and lift up your chin. And it might make you strut a little bit on the trail (or on the treadmill) while you’re at it.

Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 130
Pace: 15:23
Steps: 446

11) “Survivor” – Destiny’s Child

I promised that we’d hear more from Queen Bey & Company on this playlist, and here we are. Just like the first song on our playlist, this song’s lyrics feel made to be a mantra. So when you’re having one of those days, repeat after me:

“I’m a survivor,
I’m not gon’ give up,
I’m not gon’ stop,
I’m gon’ work harder,
I’m a survivor,
I’m gonna make it,
I will survive,
Keep on survivin’.”

How are you feeling? If you’re still going strong, crank up your pace for one last track and try to keep up with the beat. Or, if you’re ready to start your cool down, feel free to cut down the pace for this one.

Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 161
Pace: 12:25
Steps: 682

12) “Roar” – Katy Perry

Hey! You’ve made it to our cool-down track! And for our last song of the playlist, we’re returning to another girl-power favorite: Katy Perry. We may be slowing down the pace to finish today’s walk, but this song is just as powerful as any of the others on this list—so you can finish up your walk feeling like a champion. Feel free to let out a roar when you’re done.

Find it on Amazon

Beats per Minute: 90
Pace: 22:13
Steps: 336

Total Time for Today’s Workout: 44:01

Total Steps: 5,270

And with that, we’ve come to the end of today’s girl power walk! I hope it’s made you feel inspired and motivated and confident—like the strong woman you are. In case no one else has told you today, you’re a rock star, and you can do this.

If you’ve been keeping up with the beat, you’ve just gotten over 5,000 steps (or around 2.5 miles). Way to get those steps in! If you’re feeling like getting more steps, feel free to hit play again and keep going!

What are the songs that make you feel the most empowered? Share your favorites!

Kristin

Kristin has been hitting the trail (or the treadmill) for a walk almost every day for the past several years, and she recently completed her first half marathon. She loves sunny fall days, cushy walking shoes, and coconut caramel iced coffee from Dunkin.

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