What Motivates You to Exercise?

What motivates you to exercise? Is it losing weight, getting fit, staying healthy, or does it just fuel your passion for exercise?...

Hey great post question. There are many answers for different people. As a personal trainer the answers I get from clients or potential clients is to improve their health, be around for their family, or someone  they knew just died or is having major health issues. Certainly all of those are great reasons for motivation to exercise. However, the #1 reason from my experience is people just want to look better in regards to their appearance. Usually its not directly said and it may take may take me some digging but often it comes back to that. People are not happy with the way they look and just want to make a change.  However, I believe the next main reason people exercise is for their family, friends and for others who care about and love them. Actually, I wrote a blog about it entitled "Exercise, Weight Loss, Health vs. Family, Friends and Loved Ones ". Hope this reply helps. 

Yeah all too often we get into that look better rut and when we don't receive complements it is difficult to gauge success because we don't feel the way we look... I know it motivates me to look better but I have a genuine passion to workout and increase strength and endurance. Thanks for sharing...

http://www.chairacise.com/weight-loss-health-vs-family-friends/

Great link as well, it is important to not only think about increasing your longevity of life and living a quality life as well... Health is the reason we thrive at the gym and health will be the reason for happiness as well... Can't enjoy the things in life hooked up to a respirator... Thanks for sharing...

Great reply. I completely agree.

For me it's simple...I was dying!!  I had/have congestive heart failure.  My heart was pumping out at 35% (ejection/fraction rate).  I asked my cardiologist if there was anything that could be done.  He said weight loss may help.  I lost the weight and my ejection/fraction rate has been in the normal range for over 8 years...Praise God.  About 6 months ago my cardiologist told me I was retaining fluid.  I freaked out and lost about 25 pounds real quickly.  Have gained about 10 back.  Anyways...Dying can be a real motivator in ones life...

So today I rode my bike...And tonight is ballroom dance with my wife...Isn't there an old Greek saying "when you stop dancing you die"!! 

That is awesome I believe in the second wind myself and taking each moment as if it were our last... I went through Chemo therapy and was given a new lease on life now I believe total fitness is a way of life ... Glad you made it to see what God has next for your life... Wish you great success...

I like to exercise to zone out for me time. Knowing that in exercise there's all ways room for improvement & that I have to change it up so my body doesn't get bored. I like the gym cuz everyone else is trying to get in shape too, but mostly I like walking outdoors, I can either groove to music or just get lost in my own thoughts or just enjoy the scenery. I'm looking forward to bike riding outdoors again.

Yes doing what makes you feel good is what it is all about... Complete happiness comes from what you love to do... If we do what we have to we can get by, but if we do what our hearts drive us to do then exceed that which we are capable of doing, and then we will accomplish the real self in being fit and healthy... I wish you success in what you are doing...

losing weight. thats honestly just about it. if anything else good comes from it, ok i guess. sometimes while doing it i think 'this is good for my heart' because i am getting older. then i remember i am not going to live forever anyway and feel like i have lived long enough already, so screw it