What's Your Fitness Motivation?

I have been in the fitness industry for over 20 years. I was athletic all throughout my school years and being active as an adult just seemed to be a natural thing for me. I can't really recall a time when I didn't workout in some capacity or another. Over the years my training has evolved from aerobics (hellos 90's!) to long distance running to weight training/cardio and eventually I was introduced to the bodybuilding world around 2007 and started competing in 2008.

Throughout the 6 years I was competing my motivation for working out was always the next competition. I would get feedback from judges and coaches and that would fuel my next several months of training and dieting. There was always a purpose to my training, which kept my motivation high.

Now that I'm no longer competing and just doing fitness "because", I had to stop and think about what motivates me to keep doing it. Habit, sure, but there has to be something greater than habit. I think my motivations will hit home with many people who are busy parents like me, trying to juggle kids, work and some time for themselves.

Looking Good.

Let's not even pretend that this is not a key motivator in fitness. Most of us do it to look good, look better. For me, it's not about weight loss but keeping up with my fitness keeps my body in the shape I feel best in. Especially as I age, I want to keep looking good and keep looking as young as I possibly can. Exercise is one of the best anti aging medicines there is!

Overall Health Benefits.

With each passing year, I notice that my body gets a little more "cranky." My joints are a little stiffer in the mornings and sometimes I just don't move like I used to. When I exercise, all of that feels much better. Not to mention, regular exercise fights all kinds of diseases and has a number of other health benefits, including stronger heart and lower blood pressure.

Keeping up with the kiddos.

As a mom of 4, I like being able to have the endurance and stamina to keep up with my kids. As they get older they get faster and stronger and it is fun to be fit enough to give them a good run for their money. And it's nice that they are proud to have a mom who is fit. I love being able to hike with them and race my son on the trails.

Better mood.

Because endorphins and serotonin. Both of these mood-enhancing chemicals are released in the brain with regular exercise. It makes exercise the most effective anti-depressant available. As someone who has battled depression, I have found that exercise has been a key factor in keeping my mood elevated which makes it one of the biggest motivators for me!

These are my primary reasons that I exercise religiously. It's a habit and it's one that I'm committed to keeping. Even though my motivators have changed significantly over the last couple of years, they are still more than enough to keep me hitting the gym. If you can't identify your fitness motivators, you will have a more challenging time sticking with it and making it into a habit. Really think about the reasons you do it or you want to start doing it...and it should be for more than aesthetic purposes (weight loss and looking hot). You want to identify motivators that will last for the long haul.