Hitting the gym or lacing up your running shoes can be a great way to stay fit, reduce stress, and boost your energy, but some days it can feel like a bit of a drag too. Audiobooks are a great way to forget about the pain and monotony and help the minutes pass by with ease.

And if you’re taking the time to build those muscles and train your body, why not exercise your mind while you’re at it? Whether you’re hitting the gym for the first time or you’re a pro, here are some health and fitness audiobooks on the Libby app that you can learn from while they make your next workout fly by.

Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson

Some days are harder than others to find the motivation to work out—that couch looks far too inviting, and the thought of binging a TV show after a long day’s work really hits the spot. Or maybe you do manage to get started, but you just hit a wall and end up calling it a day sooner than you originally planned. I know that half the time I cancel a workout or reschedule, the only thing standing in my way is my own brain. This book tackles those issues and more to show that limits are an illusion, and we all have the tools needed to access our hidden extra potential.

Blending cutting-edge science and gripping storytelling, this book reveals research that shows that the seemingly physical barriers we encounter come just as much from our brains as they do our bodies, meaning that the mind is the new frontier of endurance. Drawing lessons from shadowing elite athletes and visiting high-tech labs around the world, Hutchinson explores the science of endurance and shows that we’re always capable of pushing a little farther than we once thought possible.

Stronger: The Untold Story of Muscle in Our Lives by Michael Joseph Gross

You might be picking up some weights for the first time or you may be an elite power lifter—no matter where you are in your fitness journey, Stronger shows readers that getting strong and staying strong has the ability to transform your world. This book explores the history of muscle in the public eye with everything from ancient Greek and Roman ideas of strength and athleticism to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fitness career. It also surveys the many health-related reasons why giving some extra attention to our muscles serves our best interests, from reducing depression to aging well.

Stronger shows muscle and weight training in a whole new light, using warmth and humor to blend history and firsthand reporting in an inspiring narrative packed with practical information based on rigorous scientific studies from around the world. This book sets out to inspire readers to jump off the couch and grab some weights—if you’re listening to this audiobook at the gym, you’re already one step ahead!

Slow AF Run Club by Martinus Evans

Ten years ago Martinus Evans’s doctor instructed him to start walking, saying he needed to “lose weight or die.” Since then Evans has since gone on to run over 100 races (including eight marathons), has been featured on the cover of Runner’s World, and has been a Boston Marathon finisher. Slow AF Run Club strives to change the perception that a runner is supposed to look, act, or feel a certain way and celebrates runners of all sizes and athletic ability. In this practical guide, Evans details the incredible benefits of running and offers manageable steps to get started without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. From scheduling your training to getting the right gear and nutrition, Evans shares all the most essential advice with humor and personal anecdotes to inspire readers to begin their own running journey and find the joy in it.

Slow AF Run Club is the world’s largest inclusive online community to bring together and empower self-described “slow” runners and walkers, and as a member of the Slow AF Run Club Facebook group, I've found that having a community is one of the most valuable resources a runner can have. From personal anecdotes to funny memes, the group motivates in a variety of ways and helps break down barriers for anyone who might not feel like they fit the “classic runner” mold. Now you can bring that community into the gym or on your next run with this audiobook, which is read by the author with warmth, humor, and honesty. It’s an absolutely delightful listen to keep you company on your next workout.

Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes by Christine Yu

Over the last 50 years, women have made extraordinary advances in athletics, and more women than ever are playing sports and staying active longer. Despite this, all too often the guidance women receive is based on research that fails to consider their experiences or their bodies, instead using science based solely on studies of men. The good news, though, is that this is finally changing as researchers are creating more inclusive studies to close the gender data gap and are examining the ways women can boost athletic performance, reduce injury, and stay healthy.

This book disentangles old myths and gender bias from the very real science that can help women achieve their athletic potential at any stage of their lives, from youth to adulthood, including through pregnancy, menopause, and beyond.

Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding by Daniel E. Lieberman

This book poses a simple yet compelling question that I’ve often contemplated as I’ve sweated and complained on the treadmill: If exercise is so good for you, why do so many people dislike or avoid it? Daniel Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University and a pioneering researcher on the evolution of human physical activity, tells the story of how we never evolved to exercise—to do voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. Using his own research and experiences, Lieberman explains without jargon how and why humans evolved to walk, run, dig, and do other necessary and rewarding physical activities while avoiding needless exertion.

Exercised also busts some of the common myths and misconceptions that are told over and over again. (If I had a nickel for every time someone told me that running was bad for my knees, I could afford a better gym membership.) Entertaining, eye-opening, and constructive, this book helps us make sense of all the conflicting, often anxiety-inducing information about physical activity and rest. It also reaffirms that, even if we never evolved to do it, regular exercise is necessary and healthy for any age.

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan

While working out is a huge factor for your health and fitness, it’s important not to forget the role of healthy eating too. The fitness industry has a way of highlighting the value of “nutrients” while taking it out of actual food, instead opting for on-the-go bars, shakes, gels, and other manufactured alternatives for a quick intake of nutrition before or after a workout. This can lead to confusion as we try our best to stay healthy in a fast-paced world—most of what we’re consuming today is no longer the product of nature but of food science. This book presents the theory of the American Paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become.

With In Defense of Food, Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." This book shows us easier ways to make thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, fuel our workouts, improve our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring real pleasure back to eating.

Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land by Noé Álvarez

Many of the books on this list ask readers to look closer at their fitness and health, but sometimes you need to zoom out and let your mind go on its own journey. In this memoir of endurance and self-discovery, the son of working-class Mexican immigrants leaves behind a life of labor in fruit-packing plants after learning about a Native American/First Nations movement called the Peace and Dignity Journeys, epic marathons meant to renew cultural connections across North America. In this book he tells the story of his four-month-long journey from Canada to Guatemala that pushed him to his limits, as well as the stories of the runners he joined who were also fleeing difficult beginnings. He writes about overcoming hunger, thirst, and fear, navigating dangers from both the natural and human world, and the renewed relationship he finds with the land he is running across.

If you’re on the treadmill or in the gym, prepare to be transported on this epic journey. Álvarez’s perseverance will inspire your own workout, and descriptions of the mountains, deserts, and cities Álvarez traverses will help you forget about where you are and what you’re doing while also allowing some space for self-reflection.

Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery by Christie Aschwanden

We can’t talk about fitness without also talking about recovery. I will admit, I often forget to stretch, and I hate taking extra time for warm ups and cool downs after I run, even though I know I’m supposed to do it. Everyone talks about how vital recovery is to ensure you’re gaining the most from your workouts, but what makes a real difference, and what’s just the latest fad being promoted by the fitness industry?

This book takes readers on an entertaining and enlightening tour through the latest science on sports and fitness recovery. Acclaimed science journalist Christie Aschwanden investigates claims about sports drinks, chocolate milk, and "recovery" beer; examines the latest recovery trends; and even tests some for herself, including cryotherapy, foam rolling, and Tom Brady–endorsed infrared pajamas. Good to Go seeks an answer to the question: Do any of these things actually help the body recover and achieve peak performance?

*Title availability may vary.

No matter where you are on your fitness journey, these audiobooks will get you feeling inspired for your next workout.

Download the Libby app to find lots more audiobooks for your next run or workout, and be sure to subscribe to Libby Life for more of our picks.