3 Audiobooks by Female Athletes That’ll Inspire Your Next Workout

Let’s be honest–even the most die-hard fitness buff has those days when you feel too tired or lazy to work out. In fact, a recent survey by YouGov noted that these two factors are the primary reasons why people put off exercising. Thankfully, most people have found that listening to something while working out can be a great motivator. For instance, a 2020 survey on People revealed that up to 65% of respondents felt they wouldn’t feel motivated to exercise without their preferred music.

If you’re in a similar boat and have yet to try listening to specific audio while working out, now’s the perfect time! After all, you don’t want that demotivated feeling to linger, especially as studies prove that women over 40 are poised to receive some of the best health benefits with regular exercise. According to a global report shared on The National News, even women who’ve just started working out in their mid-50s can expect to have better health in later years.

If you’re not too keen on listening to music and would prefer to hear from other women who’ve overcome adversity and conquered fitness, try audiobooks. Easy to listen to, compatible with most devices, and highly accessible, audiobooks by female athletes may be the key to elevating your next workout. Here are some audiobooks to add to your playlist:

Just Add Water: My Swimming Life by Katie Ledecky

Written and narrated by the Olympic gold medalist, Just Add Water is one of the New York Times bestselling audiobooks on Everand. This is a subscription service with hundreds of titles across various genres, including

fitness, memoirs, and self-improvement. For a monthly fee comparable to a single physical book, this platform even lets you download titles for offline use, so you can enjoy your title no matter where you are. This is especially perfect if you like to exercise outdoors or in public spaces, where data service can fluctuate.

In her memoir, Ledecky recounts her early days as a young swimmer in Maryland, where her time in the pool was more for play and less for training. She talks about how this foundation built on genuine passion drove her to become the youngest member of the American team during the 2012 London Olympics–the same Games where she nabbed her first medal.

Since then, she’s become one of the most decorated professional swimmers. What makes Ledecky’s book really shine, though, are her insights on developing a “champion’s mindset,” which is what she credits as helping her persevere under the intense pressure of elite athletics.

Breakproof: 7 Strategies to Build Resilience and Achieve Your Life Goals (How to Reach Your Life Goals) by Jenn Drummond

If you don’t believe you can escape the trappings of your 9 to 5 or your age, multi-hyphenate Jenn Drummond’s book, which is also available on Everand, will change your mind. The owner of a financial services firm by day, Drummond is also a widely celebrated climber who just so happens to be an author, too. Since Drummond’s first feature here, where she shared that she was near her goal of completing the Seven Second Summits campaign, she has become the first woman to accomplish this. Notably, this campaign is recognized as being among the hardest in the elite climbing circuit. So much so that the number of men who’ve completed this is also very few.

Drummond has learned the fine art of becoming BreakProof and aims to share this with others. This concept, which she learned from her climbing experience, can also apply to personal affairs. It includes seeing the big picture beyond the summit, not focusing on the messy middle, and embracing the power of an imperfect start.

Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman

An elite runner, Lauren Fleshman is somebody who knows how to overcome the hurts that life throws at you. Although now she’s retired, Fleshman is still an active figure in the running world. Now, though, instead of being the champion of the track, she’s championing for reform.

In Good for a Girl, Fleshman sheds light on the challenges female athletes face in an industry shaped by and for men. An unflinching narrator, Fleshman’s work has since received worldwide acclaim. Aside from winning the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award, Flesham’s writing is considered a must-read (or listen!) for anyone who wants to be an advocate for positive and inclusive change. If you’re a fan of Fleshamn’s numerous other appearances on Spotify podcasts, like Parent Data and The Alpha Girl Confidence, then her own audiobook will be a treat.