No matter how much you love exercising, it’s difficult to get into the swing of things without a catchy tune to keep you motivated.
What about when you’re not in the mood to have high energy beats blasting out of your headphones? Next time you’re craving something more mellow at the gym or pounding the pavement, work out your mind alongside your body with a gripping podcast.
Here are 5 fantastic podcasts that’ll inspire your next run.
1) Running for Real
It would be a crime to talk about running-related podcasts without mentioning Running for Real. This podcast is hosted by elite athlete and marathon runner Tina Muir. Each week, Tina takes her listeners on a journey to discover (or re-discover!) motivation and learn about the benefits of running for your body and mind. What sets Running for Real apart from other running podcasts is that Muir is often running while recording! There’s something inspiring about listening to Tina’s measured breaths as she encourages us to do a body scan or check in. It feels like running alongside a friend. When Tina isn’t running with us, she is interviewing other athletes, like this one, in a series of frank and illuminating conversations that will keep you hooked.
2) Food For Thought
If you’re running to improve your health and well-being, you also need to be aware of your diet. It’s not enough to just work out, you also need to give your body the proper nutrients to thrive. Food For Thought is a thoughtful and informative podcast by leading UK nutritionist, Rhiannon Lambert. Each episode, Lambert debunks food myths and arms you with the knowledge to make better eating choices. She keeps things interesting with a number of guests, each experts in their respective health and wellness fields. Topics range well beyond food alone, including a gripping segment on the dangers of body image and the truth about supplements.
3) Science of Ultra
The Science of Ultra podcast makes for an interesting listen regardless of your running goals, but it is primarily targeted at endurance athletes. Host Exercise Physiologist Shawn Bearden takes runners on an intensive ride to achieve their peak performance goals. The podcast doesn’t just look at how you run, but also how your eating, sleeping and even thinking habits can shape your fitness outcomes. If you’re fascinated by the science of fitness, you’ll love this podcast.
4) The Mindset Mile
The Mindset Mile is a fantastic choice for the beginner or reluctant runner. Fitness coach and mother Aisha Zaza has put together a 30-day challenge, in which you run or walk a mile (or 1.6kms) a day while listening to her podcast. The episodes are designed to align with your time on the journey, with Day 1’s podcast acting as an introduction and Day 30 consolidating everything you’ve learnt thus far. Zaza’s warmth and encouragement will give you the feeling of having a friend and confidant with you on every run. Like the other podcasts listed, The Mindset Mile focuses not just on physical activity, but the way it can positively impact other areas of your life.
5) The Happiness Lab
The Happiness Lab, presented by psychologist Dr. Laurie Santos, is a riveting exploration into the recent scientific breakthroughs in happiness and how you can harness it. While not strictly about running, this podcast taps into most runners’ desires for self-improvement and enlightenment. Far from being a traditional self-improvement podcast, Santos encourages listeners to step away from the idea that a better job, nicer house or spouse will change everything. She asks listeners to reimagine what happiness is and take charge of making it instead of waiting for it.
Next time you set out on a run, fire up one of these fantastic 5 podcasts to exercise your mind while you sculpt your body.