One quick glance at the tracks featured in Michelle's playlist is all it takes to tell you the former first lady means business when she hits the gym.
One of the many qualities that make Michelle Obama such a badass role model is her commitment to supporting and raising all those around her. While she could easily spend her days simply enjoying the luxuries that come with her stature and fame, the former first lady often goes the extra mile to teach and inspire her fans every chance she gets. Michelle—who turned 56 on Friday—began her post-birthday week with a fun and incredibly helpful gift for all of us: her 2020 workout playlist.
Sharing the groovy list of all her favorite workout tracks on Instagram, the Grammy-nominated Becoming author wrote, "It's about that time when New Year's goals and resolutions get just a bit harder to stick to. To offer a little inspiration, I want to share my go-to 2020 #WorkoutPlaylist with all of you. These songs always seem to give me that extra boost to get through my toughest workouts. What's on your playlist?"
One quick glance at the tracks featured in Michelle's playlist is all it takes to tell you that the former first lady means business when she hits the gym. The list seamlessly combines a range of diverse musical genres of the likes of R&B, rap, and AfroWave to create a blend of upbeat tracks that would be perfect for fast-paced workouts. Both well-known and rising artists grabbed spots in the playlist, with Michelle's longtime friend and favorite artist Beyoncé joined by the likes of Lizzo, Kirk Franklin, Cardi B, and many more.
From 'Lose My Breath' from Destiny's Child and 'Feels Good' by Tony! Toni! Toné!, to newer hits like 'Hussle and Motivate' by Nipsey Hussle, 'Cross Me' by Ed Sheeran, and 'APES**T' by the Carters, this list might just be the greatest workout playlist of all time. The well-planned compilation also includes 9 tracks that'll help you cool down towards the end of your workout. Lucky for us, we won't have to spend hours compiling the playlist ourselves as Spotify wasted no time in putting it up on its platform. Check it out here.
An avid advocate for fitness and health, Michelle has time and again spoken out about the importance of women staying healthy. According to PEOPLE, speaking at the Essence Festival in New Orleans last year, the mother-of-two said, "We [as women] have to own our health. It’s one of these things that no one can take from you. When it comes to our health as women, we are so busy giving and doing for others that we almost feel guilty to take that time out for ourselves."
Interviewed on stage by Gayle King, Michelle shared her own experience of prioritizing her wellness. "A lot of mothers will understand this because I found myself looking around after I had my kids, and I didn’t have time for me, but my husband was at the gym every day. And I was like, well, how are you going to the gym? He was like, 'I make time for the gym.' I was like, what? This was right when we started going to counseling, y’all, so this was one of our issues, you know?" she recalled.
"But I found myself getting mad at him because he was doing what he needed to do for him. And I think for us as women, many of us, we have a hard time putting ourselves on our own priority list, let alone at the top of it. If we don’t have our act together as women, as mothers, as grandmothers, we aren’t going to be able to get our kids on track," Michelle added.