Move Your Body, Feed Your Mind
Some days, hitting the gym or heading out for a walk feels like a breeze. Other days, just lacing up your shoes is the workout. Whether you’re a dedicated runner, casual stroller, or reluctant elliptical rider, audiobooks can turn even the most sluggish sessions into something to look forward to.
If you’re already making time to build strength and boost your heart rate, why not engage your mind while you’re at it? The ORL’s Digital Collection has audiobooks that challenge, inspire, and entertain—so you can stretch your body and your thinking.
Here’s a list of eight popular and award-winning audiobooks to keep you company while you move:
Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
by Alex Hutchinson
Is your biggest barrier to fitness your own brain? This fascinating listen explores the science of endurance, revealing how mental and physical limits intertwine—and how we can push beyond what we think we’re capable of.
Slow AF Run Club
by Martinus Evans
Martinus Evans is on a mission to show that runners come in all speeds, shapes, and stories. Part motivational memoir, part beginner’s guide, this audiobook welcomes everyone to the joy of movement—no pace required.
Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes
by Christine Yu
Sports science has long overlooked women. This powerful audiobook sheds light on what happens when researchers finally start asking the right questions—and gives athletes of all ages and stages the information they need to move with confidence.
Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding
by Daniel E. Lieberman
If exercise feels like a struggle, blame evolution. This engaging listen explores why we avoid effort, how our ancestors moved, and why it still matters. It’s equal parts smart, witty, and reassuring—and yes, burpees are not evolutionarily normal.
Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old
by Rachel Bertsche, read by Brooke Shields
With wit, honesty, and lived experience, Brooke Shields challenges outdated narratives about aging as a woman. Reflecting on her public life and personal evolution, she reclaims midlife as a time of strength, agency, and renewal. This inspiring listen invites women to rewrite the rules of growing older.
A Physical Education
by Casey Johnston, read by the author
Casey Johnston shares how weightlifting helped her break free from diet culture and reconnect with her body on her own terms. Part memoir, part manifesto, this powerful audiobook explores strength as a form of self-respect, challenging harmful fitness norms and embracing gradual, lasting change.
Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land
by Noé Álvarez
More than a run—this is a personal and political journey of identity, endurance, and healing. Let Álvarez’s powerful storytelling carry you across countries, cultures, and communities.
Closer Together
by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, read by the author
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau shares a heartfelt exploration of self-awareness, mental wellness, and personal growth. Blending memoir with insight from leading experts, this audiobook invites listeners to reflect on emotional health, relationships, and the habits that shape us. With warmth and wisdom, she offers practical tools—and hope—for becoming more grounded, open, and connected.
Ready to Sweat, Stream, and Learn?
All titles are available free with your ORL library card. Just pop in your earbuds and press play!
