Want to be smart, sexy and strong in 2006? Listen to an audiobook this year!
Author: Kathryn Kennedy
Most people wouldn’t mind being a little smarter, sexier or stronger than they are already. Every day more and more people discover how listening to audiobooks can help them stay in the game and get more productive. If you are looking for a way to push a little harder, to get fit and to learn at the same time, then audio books could be the secret workout weapon you’ve been waiting for.

Commitment and motivation are key factors in the pursuit of better health and fitness. Boredom is the work-out killer. By keeping your mind occupied, you can fight the doldrums that plague fitness routines everywhere. Imagine if you could work out with Anthony Robbins, would that motivate you? Would you stay a little longer at the gym to listen to the end of the chapter or “good part” of a book? Perhaps 20 minutes on the treadmill would feel like a lot less with the right words whispered in your ears?

Just like fitness approaches, not all audio books will appeal to you. Weight lifters and yoga practitioners achieve their goals by following different paths, so should you approach choosing the right audiobook for you. Look for titles that appeal to your unique tastes and that can help you to achieve your specific goals.

For the practical-minded multi-tasker, getting started with a primer on nutrition might be just the thing. In Andrew Weil’s The Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating, the essentials of how to eat for optimum health and pleasure are distilled into one easy-to-absorb audio course. One listener, Lynn Baumgartner, recently wrote to SimplyAudiobooks.com to share the following: “I try to live by Weil's thoughts. I am also into alt. medicine and have lived with most of these habits before Weil's books became popular. I have a couple of his books as schools books for classes I am taking via inter/mail at Claton Collage. His mix of holistic, western, and alt. medicine is real and shouldn't be poo pooed at. These are real things a real person can do to improve their life and the quality of it. “

Another audiobook fan, Ronda Parker, suggests Simple Steps: 10 Weeks to Getting Control of Your Life by Lisa Lelas, Linda McLintock, Beverly Zingarella as a “great refresher course. The 10 steps truly are simple yet we get so caught up in our everyday lives it takes a book like this one to remind us how simple it really is. The readers are easy to listen to and they tell us not only what each simple step is but why, where and how to implement them. I can't wait to see everything start to come together.” This audio book is nicely segmented into a 10 step program. Each week or each workout, you can listen to a section to gain insight into improving the key areas of your life: your weight, your health, your living space, and your spirit.

For fast food junkies looking to kick their unhealthy cravings, Don't Eat This Book by Morgan Spurlock is a must listen. Dave Jackson writes, “AMERICA READ THIS BOOK. I listened to this title, then had to go watch the movie. . . If you have children in school, this is a MUST LISTEN TO. I've never given 5 stars to ANY book, but this was just riveting, and appalling at the same time.”

For a healthy dose of motivation, try a classic such as Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. A perennial best seller, the 15th Anniversary Edition provides the definitive step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty and human dignity. This title is always highly recommended by critics and listeners alike.

If you just are looking for a terrific listen to keep you engaged while you sweat, consider one from the 2005 Quill Awards’ Audiobook category. The film industry has the Oscars, theater has the Tonys, music has the Grammys and publishing has the Quills. Nominated titles were selected by 6,000 industry insiders, librarians and booksellers who really understand books and readers. Winners were decided by the public, who voted online and at bookstores in their communities. This past October, prizes went to top authors including Bob Dylan, J.K. Rowling, and the team behind The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America: The Audio Book. A complete list of winners is available at: http://www.simplyaudiobooks.com/Quill_Awards/dp/29/

Buying your own copies of these and other audio books can be a small investment but many local libraries offer an excellent selection for free. Another option is to check out an online rental club to see what’s available. Take advantage of free trial offers that are often available. Resolve to listen to an audiobook in 2006, and get smarter, sexier and stronger for it!