If you’re looking for an alternative way to get motivated to train, try absorbing the message of a strong speaker.

Loved ones often ask me what I listen to in order to get me fired up for a workout or an event requiring inspiration. They generally seem confused when I suggest Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. I’m not sure why they’re surprised; football coaches are well known for firing up their teams with big speeches before games. This tradition has an even longer history; Shakespeare frequently had generals motivating troops with soaring oratory before battles.

Sure, you could reference my post on workout music if you’d like to go a traditional route, but I dare you to watch Dr. King speak and not want to run through a brick wall. Because MLKJ isn’t the only skilled orator equipped to get your heart pounding and your veins pumping, I figured I’d throw out a suggested list of three after a strong assist from a friend. Thank you, RB

1. “I Have a Dream” -MLKJ. Key inspirational line: “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”

2.  “It is An Ideal For Which I Am Prepared To Die” – Nelson Mandela. Key inspirational line: “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

3. “Inaugural Address” -JFK. Key inspirational line: “United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do — for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.”

These may not be presentations that make your juices flow. However, I encourage the exploration of powerful men and women who may elevate your state and inspire you to take action. Listening to messages that resonate with you can encourage you to push forward through fatigue and drown out the discomfort signals from your body.

Speeches that provoke an emotional response activate neural circuitry in your brain closely linked to movement. The speakers who make you want to jump out of your chair when you listen to them are ideal for getting you into the gym. Next time you’re struggling to get up and go, try putting on a speech instead of your standard playlist.

Strong mind,

Kap