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.

Buy it on Amazon here.

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.