In just 16 years, Susie Chan has accumulated more miles and conquered more feats of endurance than most of us achieve in a lifetime.

All seven major marathons? Check. The notoriously punishing 156-mile Marathon des Sables more times than any other British woman? Check. A 12-hour treadmill world record? Check. Check. Check.

I was in my early 20s when I first experienced the power of strength training firsthand. I was working at Women’s Health magazine and was tasked with learning to deadlift for twelve weeks at a CrossFit-style gym with a personal trainer.

I’d always been into movement, but found the concept of weights pretty terrifying before that. Most of the gyms were male-dominated spaces, and the gym plans were male-specific, too; plus, I’d grown up in a generation terrified of weight training making you “bulky” and determined to typecast muscle mass as “non-feminine.”

Books are getting Australians into the gym and keeping them there longer, and the benefits of this emerging health trend aren’t just physical – they’re mental too.

Listening to audiobooks and podcasts helped Yvonne Kong, 41, and her husband get back into fitness after becoming parents and lose a combined 50 kilos.

It also helped them broaden their minds and carve out a bit of “me time” in our busy modern world.

Audiobooks and podcasts have given Aussies the chance to turn exercise into a vehicle for learning, training their minds and bodies simultaneously. Some are even taking their e-readers and paperbacks to the gym (more on that later).

“Listening to a story while working out actually helped me stay motivated and more consistent,” Kong told nine.com.au.

Like many Aussies, she used to dread hitting the treadmill and constantly found herself counting down the minutes until her session was over.

That changed when she hit play on a true-crime podcast during a workout.

Kong got so caught up in the story she forgot about the timer on her treadmill until her workout was over.

“I did an hour treadmill course and actually finished it without noticing,” she said.

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Skipper at mleach@nine.com.au

Since then, she’s found herself looking forward to exercising because it gives her an hour of dedicated listening time.

Her husband does the same while running; he took up listening to audiobooks because it motivated him to run longer and more often so he could get through the story.

The benefits of reading/listening while exercising

About one in three Aussies now listen to audiobooks when they exercise, according to data from Audible.

More than a third of them exercise for longer because of it, one quarter work out more often, and half experience better mood during exercise.

Data released exclusively to nine.com.au revealed both men and women reported these positive experiences at an almost identical rate, despite often having different workout routines and attitudes towards exercise.

Audiobooks are particularly popular with runners, more than a third of whom say they feel more focused on their run while listening.

Personal trainer Ben Lucas is one of them; he started listening while running to make time pass quickly and train his mind as well as his body.

“You’re out there anyway, so you may as well be learning something valuable while you do it,” he told nine.com.au.

What the experts think

Mindfulness expert Luke McLeod told nine.com.au there has even been some research into how exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which helps information retention.

Lucas devours business and personal development audiobooks like Atomic Habits by James Clear while working out, a trend which has become known as ‘personal development/PD stacking’.

The goal is to “double-up of some type of personal development like listening to an e-book, which works out the mind, while also working out the body,” McLeod said.

It’s all about optimising time in our busy world, which is particularly appealing to Aussies who are time-poor; like new parents trying to juggle work and a baby.

“When I’m with [my daughter], I’m trying to be present for her, so I’m not going to be listening to podcasts or anything,” Kong said.

“When I exercise, that’s my time.”

McLeod agreed that reading or listening while working out can be a great form of self-care for some Aussies.

The only pitfall is that not every workout is suited to it.

It’s hard to keep up with an audiobook or podcast if you’re trying to count reps while strength training, and there’s no way to read an e-book on a rowing machine.

“I find podcasts and audiobooks work best during longer, slower cardio sessions,” Lucas said.

“Whether it’s an easy run, walk, or long ride, you can relax into the session, tune out a little, and focus on what you’re listening to while still getting the work done.”

He also warned Aussies to stay aware of their surroundings and hazards like traffic, cyclists, other pedestrians, or uneven paths if they listen while exercising outdoors.

McLeod added that stacking habits like exercise and reading isn’t worth it if one interrupts the other.

Road testing reading at the gym

I’ve been in and out of the gym a lot over the last decade, jumping from strength training, to reformer Pilates, and other programs in between.

But my favourite way to exercise is to hop on a treadmill with my Kindle.

I rest it on the console, set a slight incline and a moderate speed and lose myself for an hour. No workout has ever felt faster or easier.

The pros: Focusing on what I’m reading takes my mind off the clock and get through an hour of cardio without getting bored or losing motivation.

Reading at the gym also helps me stay consistent because it’s one of the few places I can just switch off and focus on my book without interruptions, so I want to keep coming back.

That hour of dedicated reading time has also been great for my mental health because it forces me to slow down and focus on something completely removed from any stress in my own life.

The cons: It did take a few sessions to get used to reading while moving, but raising the brightness on my Kindle and setting it to a larger font really helped.

Those who prefer to listen don’t have to worry about any of that though; just download an audiobook and you’re good to go.

I also invested in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones to muffle the dance music that plays over my gym’s loudspeakers, which made it much easier to focus.

Now the only downside to reading at the gym that I sometimes hit a slump after I finish a really good book because I don’t want to hit the gym again until I find something new to read.

The verdict: It’s not for everyone, but I have found that reading at the gym has been the best way for me to stay motivated and consistent.

I feel good about taking the time to work on both my body and my mind a few times a week, and I’ve been able to check some amazing books off my ‘to be read’ list while working out.

Audiobooks make it even easier for Aussies who want to exercise without the hassle of a physical book or e-reader, or who have different accessibility needs.