Now that it’s summertime, you might be in a weird place in your fitness journey. Lying by the pool all day certainly sounds more appealing than waking up early for a morning run, but at the same time, summer is a great time to get fit.
Maybe you’re thinking about using some extra time away from classes to develop a fitness plan for the first time, or perhaps you’re looking for extra motivation to take your gym sessions to the next level. No matter which point you’re at or if you’re somewhere in between, it’s good to have some new inspiration for your fitness life. A great place for that inspiration is in books!
Here are some recommendations for books that’ll help you focus on fitness this summer.
Table of Contents
No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness by Michelle Segar, Ph.D.
Read if: You can’t seem to make yourself exercise
Don’t let the lengthy title scare you away. In No Sweat, Michelle Segar narrows down a mass of information from a bunch of scientific reports into a simple four-point plan. The plan can help motivate you to pick up exercise, whether for the first time or after a break. No Sweat has stories that will both inspire you and remind you of why the human body truly needs exercise.
The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss
Read if: You’re looking to focus your diet or use your body more efficiently
The 4-Hour Body is based on the 80/20 principle, something that you might have heard of before. It’s a way of balancing healthy habits with rest and relaxation. The idea can easily be applied to your diet, with the 80 being the days you eat optimal, healthy foods and the 20 being “cheat days.” The 4-Hour Body shows you how to optimize your body with some simple tricks to get the most out of your workouts.
Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Graceful You by Misty Copeland
Read if: You want some celeb inspiration or are focusing on strength through flexiblity
If you’re a dancer, (or even if you were only one when you were younger) you’re probably familiar with Misty Copeland. This book isn’t just for dancers, though. Anyone can be inspired by Misty’s flexibility, grace, and crazy strong body. Ballerina Body includes workout routines and meal plans to help you out if this kind of body is your goal. It also includes excerpts from Misty’s own journal to give you the inspirational words you need.
The Pursuit of Endurance by Jennifer Pharr Davis
Read if: You need to build perseverance or are focusing on strength through endurance
The gym might not be for you. If you’d rather exercise outside, surrounded by nature, give Jennifer Pharr Davis’s book a try. She holds a record for the fastest known time on the Appalachian trail. Reading The Pursuit of Endurance will inspire you to exercise in more uncommon ways. It’s also a great read if you find yourself giving up on your fitness plan soon after you begin. By reading about Jennifer’s struggles in her training to take on the Appalachian trail, this book can help you find the motivation to not give up the first time things get hard.
What do you think?
What are your fitness goals for the summer? Have you read any great books about fitness? Let me know in the comments!