In the last decade, I’ve compiled dozens of quotes that help me stay focused and get inspired.
The following quotes were compiled my me and BuiltLean contributor Nate Morrow.
These fitness motivation quotes can help motivate you to exercise, eat well, and improve your health.
They are powerful and thought provoking, so I hope you enjoy them:
Master Your Mindset
1. “The greatest discovery of my generation is that you can change your circumstances by changing your attitudes of mind”
-William James
2. “He who conquers others is strong, he who conquers himself is mighty”
-Lao Tsu
3. “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”
-Winston Churchill
4. “That which holds the attention determines the action”
-William James
5. “Our life is what our thoughts make it”
-Marc Antonius
When it comes to mastering our mindset, most of us harbor negative thoughts. In fact, most of our approximately 60,000-70,000 thoughts each day1 may be negative and the same as the previous day.
It’s not by chance that most of the quotes relate to mastering your mindset. Your thoughts and your mindset determine your outward actions.
Have A Plan
6. “Failing to plan is the plan to fail”
-Effie Jones
7. “If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else”
-Laurence J Peter
Changing our bodies is very challenging, but with a well defined plan of action to follow, it becomes much more manageable.
Take Action
8. “The real risk is doing NOTHING”
-Denis Whitley
9. “We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
It’s so easy to flail in the wind, but you can take action right now to change how you look and feel.
Believe In Your Potential
10. “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.”
-Michelangelo
I really love this last quote, because when I look at someone who has fallen off the proverbial wagon, I see a lean, confident, and energetic person just waiting to be revealed.
Find Inner Strength
11. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”
-Arnold Schwarzenegger
12. “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.”
-Hippocrates
13. “It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
-Socrates
14. “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
It’s sometimes difficult to make changes in our lives, especially with busy work and family schedules, but I truly hope you can find some inspiration here to make your health a priority. Yes, going to the gym on a cold, winter’s morning is not as easy as sleeping in your nice, warm bed, but you’ll be glad you did.
There Are No Limits
15. “If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus; and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
-Bruce Lee
16. “Your biggest challenge isn’t someone else. It’s the ache in your legs and the voice inside that yells can’t, but don’t listen. You just push harder and then you hear the voice whisper can and you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the person you really are.”
-Unknown
17. “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.”
-Art Williams
Never Give Up
18. “Nothing is more certain than the defeat of a man who gives up.”
-George Sheehan
19. “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
-Michael Jordan
20. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
-Mark Twain
Healthy Habits
21. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
-Michael Pollan
22. “Eating crappy food isn’t a reward — it’s a punishment.”
-Drew Carey
23. “I’ve always believed that the fitter you are and the more time you find to look after yourself, the more time you’ll have for everyone else.”
-Richard Branson
24. To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.
-Buddha
25. “Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens — and when it happens, it lasts.”
-John Wooden
Wow, I LOVE these quotes! Reading over these quotes frequently can be a life changer.
It’s so hard for me to choose a favorite quote, but I would have to go with Michelangelo, because it encapsulates what I do for a living.
Do you have a favorite quote either from this list, or another that has helped keep you motivated? If so, leave a comment below!
