New Wave Workout

Maybe you wouldn't be caught dead in neon spandex gym gear, but when it comes to your workout, few things start it up and keep it going like those big and bouncy new wave beats. So while the lyrics of "Relax" say one thing, those core-thumping Frankie Goes to Hollywood rhythms spur you on to quite another state. Meanwhile, Devo issues a straight-out order to "shape it up" on their weird-world masterpiece "Whip It," as Duran Duran gets you ready for your tight, toned, camera-ready close-up with the snap-happy pulse of "Girls On Film."

"One Thing Leads to Another" sing '80s synth-rockers the Fixx, and they're right; once you hit your stride, you won't wanna stop — find more New Wave Workout hits in Next Steps.

So, really, how are you going to just stand there when you've got the big, bold, fuzztoned sounds of Tones On Tail acting as your own personal trainer and shouting, "Go!" into your ear? Impossible! And when you feel yourself flagging? Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark is there to drop a new wave beat-bomb with "Enola Gay." These are songs to fire you up and keep you on the steady burn, from Yaz's commanding dance-floor shakedown "Situation" to Toni Basil's retro-pop bouncer "Mickey" to Yello's feels-so-good smash "Oh Yeah."

You're almost there — bring it on home in Deep Cuts.

There's something for every stripe of skinny-tie wearin', big-hair moussin', synth-pop boppin' fitness freak in Deep Cuts, where Adam Ant's ode to industrious animals "Antmusic" coexists in beat-happenin' harmony alongside the Stray Cats' rockabilly rouster "Rock This Town," and Grace Jones' sultry cruiser "Pull Up to the Bumper." Get serious with Echo & The Bunnymen's workout command, "Never Stop," or keep it light as you hitch a pace-setting ride on the tribal beats of Toto Coelo's tasty one-hit novelty "I Eat Cannibals (Part 1)."

Back when our New Wave Workout Essentials came on the scene, the U.S. fitness craze was just gearing up, and though we've come a long way from the time when step aerobics was the wildest thing to hit workouts since leotards and leggings, these tracks still pack all the quirky, jerky, synth-soaked power to stimulate, motivate, and otherwise keep your fitness mission on track. Hit the ignition with New Order's monster-smash mover "Blue Monday," then let the tunes take over — we've got the era's best in one easy, long-playing set designed to wring every last drop of good, honest sweat from your routine — from Kim Wilde's energizer anthem "Kids In America" to the B-52's' one-of-a-kind kick "Private Idaho" to Depeche Mode's electro-pop statement of goal-oriented intent "Just Can't Get Enough."