As we navigate a new year, health and wellness remain a top priority. Staying healthy not only means improving your physical strength but also your mental wellbeing, especially as we continue to face extended periods of working from home and social distancing. 

Other than the obvious physical rewards of exercise, experts also agree on the benefits of exercise for improved brain function and emotional wellbeing – boosting your mood and relieving stress. 

Spotify recently chatted to popular local content creator Tshepang ‘Twiggy Molli’ Mollison and actress, author and ‘yogi’ Bonnie Mbuli around the benefits, for themselves, of setting up a daily exercise routine.

For Twiggy Molli as an avid traveller and foodie, exercise forms an essential part of her daily routine.

“My line of work requires that I always stay in shape, travelling and its adventures means that I need to be fit to take on long trips and adventurous activities to get the most out of what I do, and this motivates me to always maintain a healthy lifestyle. Working out is very therapeutic for me. I have such a busy schedule that it allows me to take my mind off it for a few hours a day and simply unwind.”

Twiggy Molli

Twiggy enjoys working out to American rapper Megan Thee Stallion,

“I love her music because it gives me the confidence to carry on when I feel like giving up. If I’m not listening to her, my go-to workout playlists are the ones like Beast Mode, a playlist made up of top hip hop tracks.”

Twiggy Molli

For Bonnie, yoga is her passion and she is strict about practicing for 15 minutes every day. Bonnie’s daily routine also includes meditation, which helps her to get into focus before she starts her day and often inspires her to work out after that.

“Music is essential, I have compiled playlists that feature my favourite workout tracks, which I cannot go without. I love working out to hip hop and Afrobeats and I discover new music every week, compiled specifically to my tastes, by Spotify.” 

Bonnie adds

Alongside yoga, Bonnie also enjoys boxing adding that

“Yoga, and exercise overall, is great for my mental agility and it increases my serotonin levels. Of course, it tones my body, and it is great for long-term health.”

Bonnie

Spotify knows that the best workouts go together with a great playlist and has an extensive and varied audio catalogue to inspire you through your preferred workout.

See Twiggy and Bonnie’s top 5 workout picks below or browse ‘Workout’ on Spotify to find playlists that will revamp your exercise routine. From Gym Beats to CardioHype to Hip Hop Yoga there is a playlist for everyone – keeping you motivated and ready to move!

Create your own Spotify workout playlist or collaborate with a gym buddy to create a collaborative playlist to kickstart your exercise routine.  To get you started here are Twiggy’s top 5 workout track songs:

  1. Areyeng – Costa Titch ft. Riky Rick & Maphorisa
  2. Lemonade – Internet Money ft. Gunna, Don Toliver
  3. Positions – Ariana Grande 
  4. If I Can’t – 50 Cent 
  5. Cocky AF – Meg Thee Stallion 

And Bonnie’s workout essentials include:

  1. Electricity (with Dua Lipa) – Diplo, Mark Ronson
  2. Run Up (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR) – Major Lazer, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Nicki Minaj
  3. Loading (feat. Bad Boy Timz) – Olamide, Bad Boy Timz
  4. Ima Boss (feat. Rick Ross) – Meek Mill, Rick Ross
  5. POWER – Kanye West

#SpotifySouthAfrica – Facebook: @Spotify |Twitter: @SpotifySA  | Instagram: @spotify

Download the Spotify app via the Android or iOS app store or by heading to www.spotify.com