Best Christmas Day Workout Playlist

Here's what I'll be listening to during my holiday workout.

Guess what I’m looking forward to most on Christmas Day? Not the presents, or the enormous dinner, or even the day off from work. (Although, that last one’s pretty darn sweet.) It’s the early morning run I plan to do around what I hope to be a deserted Center City on Christmas morning.

See, this will be the first year of my adult life that I’ll wake up in my own house, in my own bed, and in my own city on Christmas morning. Every year before this, I was traveling for the holiday, so I’d wake up in a guest room of some relative’s house somewhere. But when my husband and I decided to spend Christmas morning, just us, in our own house this year, my first thought wasn’t all the cuddly, romantic, awwww-how-cute kind of stuff. It was, “Oh, sweet! I can’t wait to go for a run!”

A friend who’s spent a few holidays in the city has often gushed over how deserted Philly is, especially neighborhoods filled with young post-college folks, as much of the city goes home for the holidays. That means, I’m thinking, that I’ll be able to run pretty much anywhere without having to worry about getting held up by lights and traffic. How glorious!

As such (and this is a longwinded intro just to get here, so I apologize for the poetic waxing), I’ve been thinking long and hard about what my Christmas Day running playlist will include. I want festive holiday music, of course, but churchy versions of “O Holy Night” obviously won’t do. And so I bring you: The Best Christmas Day Workout Playlist you will find on the Internet, complete with 21 upbeat holiday tunes with everything from the classics (Brenda Lee, Burl Ives) to, um, some surprises (hello, Blink 182; hey there, Run DMC). Check out the full lineup below, and click here to stream the playlist top to bottom.

To my fellow Christmas Day runners: I salute you, and happy running. Maybe I’ll see you on the roads! I’ll be the girl with the enormous grin on her face.

1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey

2. “Christmas Tree” by Lady GaGa

3. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” by Bruce Springsteen

4. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee

5. “Jingle Bell Rock” by The Brian Setzer Orchestra

6. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by the Jackson 5

7. “Father Christmas” by The Kinks

8. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” by the Glee cast

9. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” by The Ramones

10. “Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC

11. “Carol of the Bells” by the Trans Siberian Orchestra

12. “Run Rudolph Run” by The Brian Setzer Orchestra

13. “Sleigh Ride” by The Ronettes

14. “A Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives

15. “Christmas Rappin'” by Kurtis Blow

16. “Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance” by Sufjan Stevens

17. “It’s Christmas Time Again” by Blink 182

18. “Jingle Bells” by The Brian Setzer Orchestra

19. “Santa Baby” by Taylor Swift

20. “Ludacrismis” by Ludacris

21. “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” by *NSYNC

>> What’s on your holiday playlist? Share in the comments!