64 Fitness Quotes to Power Your Next Workout!

1. "The road to nowhere is paved with excuses." Mark Bell

2. "Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together and you’ve got a kingdom." Jack Lalanne

3. "If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail." Mark Spitz

Research has shown that the majority of new fitness club members do not successfully establish regular exercise behavior.

That’s because it can be a challenge to stay motivated to workout.

Choosing a buddy, creating accountability and making it fun are just a few ways to help you stay on track.

4. "In training, everyone focuses on 90% physical and 10% mental but in the races, it's 90% mental because there’s very little that separates us physically at the elite level." Elka Graham

5. "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon

6. "Well done is better than well said." Benjamin Franklin

7. "No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch." Unknown

When we think about fitness, we tend to think about powering through some heavy cardio.

However gentle forms of exercise can be just as powerful.

Yoga for example has many physical benefits — it can boost your flexibility, build muscle and improve your balance.

8. "All great achievements require time." Maya Angelou

9. "Believe me; the reward is not so great without the struggle." Wilma Rudolph

10. "If you’re tired of starting over, stop giving up." Unknown

11. "There’s always a point where you get knocked down. But I draw on what I’ve learned on the track: If you work hard, things will work out." Lolo Jones

12. "Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It's dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great." Billie Jean King

13. "Set realistic goals, keep re-evaluating and be consistent." Venus Williams

Keeping a fitness journal is one way to track your progress and re-evaluate your goals.

All you need is a notebook and a few inspiring writing prompts to get started!

14. "Never put an age limit on your dream." Dara Torres

1. "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." Mahatma Gandhi

2. "Some are born strong and others are made strong." J.R. Rim

3. "Nothing will work unless you do." Maya Angelou

Just one in five Americans exercise each day, according to the latest exercise statistics.

A lack of time and feeling too tired were the top reasons given for skipping a workout.

4. "It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up." Babe Ruth

5. "The difference between try and triumph is a little umph." Marvin Phillips

6. "Practice like you have never won. Perform like you have never lost." Kyla Ross

7. "You dream. You plan. You reach." Michael Phelps

8. "When your legs scream stop and your lungs are bursting, that’s when it starts. That’s the hurt locker. Winners love it in there." Chris McCormack

A fascinating study revealed that the “no pain no gain” approach to exercise can actually be damaging.

The findings show that both athletes and average gym goers still exercise while injured, as they are focused on ‘winning’ in the short term, rather than the long term quality of their life.

9. "The clock is ticking. Are you becoming the person you want to be?" Greg Plitt

10. "Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." Abraham Lincoln

1. "I don’t count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count." Muhammad Ali

2. "When you feel like quitting, think about why you started." Unknown

3. "Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." Michael Jordan

Ever tried reciting a fitness affirmation before you exercise?

There is evidence to prove that it can actually improve your physical performance!

4. "The real workout starts when you want to stop." Ronnie Coleman

5. "You make your own luck. You make it in training." Simone Biles

6. "We all have obstacles. The feeling of satisfaction comes by overcoming something." Marta

7. "Don’t stop until you're proud." Unknown

8. "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take." Wayne Gretzky

9. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard." Tim Notke

10. "Motivation is what gets you started. Commitment is what keeps you going." Jim Rohn

Experts suggest it takes 21 to 30 days to establish a habit.

If you’re trying to up your fitness game, why not try setting yourself a 30 day fitness challenge to ensure success.

1. "The first time you win, nobody picks you; the last time you win, nobody picks you. You've just got to pick yourself." Venus Williams

2. "A girl should be two things: who and what she wants." Coco Chanel

3. "Champions keep playing until they get it right." Billie Jean King

4. "Swimmers provide much healthier role models for teenagers than the catwalk." Clare Balding

The CDC reports that swimming is one of the most effective ways to stay in shape.

Not just for those already super active, but also for people struggling with their mobility such as the elderly and those with arthritis.

5. "Age is no barrier. It’s a limitation you put on your mind." Jackie Joyner Kersee

6. "It doesn’t matter how fast or how far you’re going. If you’re putting on your shoes and going out for a run, you are a runner, you are in that club." Kara Goucher

7. "I don’t work out because I hate my body, I workout because I love my body." Unknown

Self-love isn’t easy, but working on it each day is important to accepting and celebrating who you are.


Read our journal prompts for self-love to start changing your attitude.

8. "I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall." Serena Williams

9. "For me, losing a tennis match isn't failure, it's research." Billie Jean King

10. "If it is easy, then you are doing it wrong." Gabby Williams

1. "Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits." Jerry Dunn

2. "Don’t dream of winning, train for it!" Mo Farah

3. "I don't like to lose — at anything — yet I've grown most not from victories, but setbacks." Serena Williams

4. "Don’t practice till you get it right, practice till you can’t get it wrong." McKayla Maroney

Cognitive scientists explain that it is difficult to overstate the value of practice:

“For a new skill to become automatic or for new knowledge to become long-lasting, sustained practice, beyond the point of mastery, is necessary.”

5. "To win, you have to risk loss." Jean-Claude Killy

6. "If you say 'can't' you're restricting what you can do or ever will do." Michael Phelps

7. "There are better starters than me but I’m a strong finisher." Usain Bolt

8. "You have to believe in yourself when no one else does — that makes you a winner right there." Venus Williams

9. "You make your own luck, you make it in training." Simone Biles

10. "Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.”" Walt Whitman

Having a positive mindset has been shown to have a direct impact on your health.

John Hopkins Medicine even claim that positive people are less likely to have a heart attack!

1. "The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That’s what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they’ll go through the pain no matter what happens." Arnold Schwarzenegger

2. "The only person who can stop you from reaching your goals is you." Jackie Joyner Kersee

3. "Without goals, training has no direction." Natalie Coughlin

4. "You have to set yourself goals so you can push yourself harder. Desire is the key to success." Usain Bolt

5. "Don’t fear failure.  Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail." Bruce Lee

6. "If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done." Thomas Jefferson

If you appreciate quotes because you enjoy examining and reflecting on your own mindset, then why not try meditation?

It’s easy to get started and has so many surprising health advantages, including encouraging a healthier lifestyle, reducing back pain and strengthening your immune system.

7. "I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match." Mia Hamm

8. "Acknowledge all of your small victories. They will eventually add up to something great." Kara Goucher

9. "It always seems impossible until it is done." Nelson Mandela

10. "Your attitude is either the lock on or key to your door of success." Denis Waitley