Why I Exercise: Real People Weigh In on What Keeps Them Going
Everyone has a difficult time finding time for physical activity. Hearing what motivates other individuals can make it easier for you to discover your own “why.”
Do you ever get the impression that the only message you hear about exercise is on what you can get from it (that is, weight loss)?
When it comes to exercise, it might be difficult to dive deep and establish your “why” because the larger narrative surrounding fitness tends to emphasize things like losing weight, having excessive expectations, and improving one’s physical appearance.
What’s the upbeat report? There is a great deal more to being fit than simply reducing one’s body fat percentage, becoming ripped, or attempting to imitate someone with a “ideally” toned physique.
Getting in shape is all about the benefits you can reap. It’s not the number on the scale that matters, but how you feel about yourself. Enhancing one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being is the goal here.
It is important to move in a way that makes you happy so that you may continue doing it for a long time. And it’s all about meeting you where you are on your quest to better health and fitness.
We conducted interviews with 12 fitness trainers, yoga instructors, parents, and other individuals to find out WHY they exercise, how they make time for it, what motivates them to keep going, and a favorite motivational phrase that they share with others. This will help you get started on your journey toward finding your “why.”
Brian Nguyen
- Age: 46
- Place: Los Angeles, in the state of California
- Occupation: father, coach of athletic performance, and public speaker
Why do you exercise?
I work out to show respect for my life. I have lost loved ones who [have motivated] me to keep myself and others LIVING and MOVING even after they have passed away.
In my opinion, we are not the owners of our bodies; rather, we are merely tenants in them while we are having our human experience. I intend to keep this automobile spotless, in good working order, and supplied with high-quality fuel. In this way, I will be able to continue spending quality time with the people I care about while driving.
How will you make room for it?
I start each day with the same routine. The first two hours of each day are mine to use anyway I see fit. If I am able to love myself to the fullest extent that I am capable of, then I will be able to do the same for other people. However, if I can’t do it for myself, what gives me a reason to believe that I can actually give it back to other people? Lesson: Your oxygen mask first!
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
According to the Chinese horoscope, I am a dragon. I am awestruck by the story of the dragon spirit that is said to have spewed fire into the heavens in order to cause rain to fall on the parched fields. This is my life, and I adore it. I just want to be there for folks when they discover the joy that can be found in playing games and moving about.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
It is not possible to acquire or purchase happiness. You already possess it. You give yourself the opportunity to connect with and express your inner child when you engage in some light physical activity and play on a daily basis. Never forget that little, cheerful bugger.
Colleen Saidman-Yee
- Age: 62
- Locale: Sag Harbor, in the state of New York
- Occupation: yoga instructor, author of “Yoga For Life,” and proprietor of the Yoga Shanti studio for the past 23 years.
Why do you exercise?
I do yoga to reverse my body’s reaction to stress and to give my muscles a method to release the tension that has built up from dealing with the challenges and stresses of daily life. I do yoga to break my mind out of its ruts and become less complacent. I do yoga on a regular basis to help maintain my body flexibility as I become older. I do yoga so that I can cultivate a more intimate relationship with my body and gain a more profound understanding of who I am.
How will you make room for it?
I make room for it in my schedule since it is both my life and my lifeline.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
What motivates me to keep going is the fact that, both mentally and physically, I feel like garbage when I don’t. This is what keeps me going.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
Realize that you do not need more.
A lot of the time, people utilize exercise as a form of self-flagellation, as if they are angry at their bodies and want them to be “better.” The pursuit of being “Faster, Bigger, Harder, and Louder” will only serve to mislead you into thinking that you are lacking in some way.
The satisfaction that comes from exercising your body is diminished when you begin to evaluate it in relation to the performance of others.
It’s not that I don’t think it’s cool to be able to strike a pose, lift more weight, or run a race in a shorter amount of time. I’m trying to get over the point that the procedure needs to be carried out with respect and compassion, and that the goal shouldn’t be to arrive at a rainbow at the end of the path.
Because the next time, there is a possibility that there won’t be a rainbow, and you’ll be forced to admit that “I suck.” I’m sorry, but I just can’t cut it.”
Ridge Davis
- Age: 31
- Place: Los Angeles, in the state of California
- Occupation: qualified fitness instructor personal trainer
Why do you exercise?
The adage “how you do one thing, you do everything” is something I firmly believe in. In a very real sense, this adage is embodied by fitness and exercise. Regular exercise gives my week a sense of direction and keeps me moving forward. My ability to be productive and creative rests squarely on this one factor.
If I don’t get in a workout or am less active on a given day, it has a significant negative impact on both my energy level and my capacity to help other people.
How will you make room for it?
My workout is always the first thing I do when I get up in the morning. After a good workout in the morning, I get a sense of accomplishment and my mind is clear. My workout is already scheduled for the day, so even if something comes up in the middle of the day, I won’t have to worry about finding time for it.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
Being obsessed with the process and learning new things consistently is a source of motivation at all times. When it comes to fitness — or pretty about anything else — there is no such thing as a final destination. Goals are important, but honing your approach is where you’ll find the real magic, and that’s what helps me stay on top of my game.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
The way you approach one task is the way you approach everything.
Everything in our conduct is related, and this holds true across all fields of study and aspects of life. This is one of my favorite quotes because it encourages me to strive for excellence in all that I do, regardless of how big or small the task or project may be.
Charlee Atkins
- Age: 35
- Place of business: New York City
- Occupation: creator and founder of Le Sweat TV
Why do you exercise?
I work out because I want to have “healthy” and “happy” aging.
When you are in your twenties, you don’t pay attention to what people have to say about the changes that occur in the body as we get older; at least, I didn’t. After I turned 30, I began to notice that my body was not responding as it should to the activities I was doing, and that it was simply generally “creakier” during the day.
In addition, I was raised with the belief that it was beneficial to my health to take 15 courses of indoor cycling per week. My experience has shown me that strength training is the component that makes the most difference, both in terms of weight loss and in terms of overall performance.
How will you make room for it?
My 10-minute movement exercise is just as important to my day as my daily cup of coffee. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I maintain a pattern for my mobility exercises, I can reduce the number of times per week that I exercise to between two and three.
My exercises consist of all that I do for my mobile application, Le Sweat TV. My typical week consists of filming three to five sessions, each lasting twenty to thirty minutes, for my app. These classes range in length from three to five minutes.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
If you don’t put it to good use, you’ll lose it.
This year, my fiance and I are planning to start a family and establish a home together (at 35).
In addition, from the experiences of my postpartum clients, I have gained an appreciation of the difficulty that is associated with getting back into the rhythm of things after giving birth. Being stronger during pregnancy and after delivery is what keeps me motivated, both during pregnancy and after delivery.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
My most well-known catchphrase is “Yes or Yes,” which I have even registered as a trademark. My interpretation of the phrase “Yes or Yes” is to accept the challenge head on. In this particular instance, it indicates that I should get out of bed, perform my mobility exercises, and make it a point to remain active on a weekly basis.
Maxi Blasini
- Age: 31
- Place: San Diego, in the state of California
- Work as a health coach, an expert in functional exercise, and an organizer for social justice.
Why do you exercise?
My primary coping mechanisms for anxiety and stress are purposeful movement and physical activity. After participating in an activity that requires movement or exercise, I am better able to concentrate on finding new ideas and bringing them to fruition.
How will you make room for it?
When I know I’m going to have an extremely busy week that will make it difficult for me to find time to exercise, I ask myself the following questions: When was the last time that I consciously moved any part of my body? Does it feel as though my body is being constrained or confined? Do I feel tense or unsettled all the time?
If, after answering these questions, I discover that I haven’t actively moved for two or more days, that my body does, in fact, feel constricted, or that my stress levels are high, then my primary concern will shift to ensuring that my body is able to maintain its overall functionality.
I make it a point to prioritize going for a 15-minute walk or doing some stretching at some point during the day, and I gradually increase both the amount of time I spend exercising and the number of sessions I do as my duties change. I make it a habit to regularly check in with both my body and myself to determine what it is that I require.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
The sense of liberation that I experience in my body after moving or working out on purpose.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
Every single effort should be considered.
Nehemiah Owusu is 26 years old and lives in the city of Minneapolis in the state of Minnesota.
- Occupation: master trainer and nutrition coach at the Plymouth, Minnesota location of Life Time
Why do you exercise?
I exercise because it enables me to be a better version of myself, both in terms of my physical appearance and my mental state. It contributes to the general improvement of all facets of my life, both professionally and emotionally.
Work ethic, discipline, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment are just few of the success attributes that I’ve developed because to fitness. In addition to this, it provides me with the sensation of having an inexhaustible supply of energy and the capacity to carry out the activities of daily living and leisure with relative ease.
How will you make room for it?
I didn’t find the time to do it; rather, I made the time for it.
I make it a point to ensure that the amount of physical activity I get meets the requirements of my objectives, way of life, and preferences while allowing me to continue focusing on other aspects of my life. For this reason, the number of days I exercise and the length of time I devote to each session varies throughout the course of the year.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
The fact that I am able to serve as a model for others, as well as encourage, motivate, and educate my customers, members of my club, friends, and family members, and even complete strangers, is what keeps me going. In addition to this, I gain the experience necessary to become a more effective coach.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
If you’re not willing to go all the way, there’s no point in going at all. “Joe Namath,”
Theresa Holly Roser
- Age: 36
- Place: San Francisco, in the state of California
- Occupation: personal trainer and owner of a fitness studio
Why do you exercise?
I go to the gym so that I can achieve my goals. When I work out, I have the idea that I have beyond what was achievable in the workout before it. This leaves me with a sense of success. My go-to forms of exercise for strength training and cardio include running and weight lifting. Always striving to get quicker and stronger is one of my goals.
How will you make room for it?
This is difficult to accomplish given that business owners often work 12-hour days. Around 1:00–2:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, when I am not meeting with clients, I make an effort to get in a workout.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
By entering a 10K race, I am able to maintain my focus on reducing the amount of time it takes me to run one mile.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
The level of resolve possessed by an individual is what makes the difference between something being impossible and something being feasible. Tommy Lasorda was the one.
Gerren Liles
- Age: 44
- Place of business: New York City
- Occupation: founder trainer for MIRROR
Why do you exercise?
Early on in life, I realized the importance of not taking my health for granted. At the age of 27, when I came dangerously close to developing diabetes, I discovered that poor decisions can catch up with you at any time. Therefore, in order to pursue a flourishing life, it was necessary to have a healthy lifestyle that included regular exercise, a balanced food, and positive mental health.
How will you make room for it?
Because I am fortunate enough to have a career in the fitness industry, I am able to train for the activities that I enjoy doing outside of work as well as while I am instructing my MIRROR classes. As an ardent participant in obstacle course competitions, I make it a point to incorporate runs and other forms of cross-training whenever I get the chance.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
My ultimate objective in life is to amass sufficient wealth so that I may support my mother financially after she has reached retirement age and take her on the vacation of her dreams. Therefore, getting the best out of both myself and the people around me will help me get to that point.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
The confines that we impose on ourselves have entrances on the interior. You have the power to break free from the confines you’ve imposed on yourself and to walk into the greatness that you are capable of.
Mary Holtschneider
- Age: 58
- Situatio: Durham, in the state of North Carolina
- Occupation: Club Pilates instructor at Club Pilates as well as health professions simulation educator, training clinicians and others on skills such as teamwork, communication, emergency response, and leadership.
Why do you exercise?
I was in my early twenties when I first became interested in physical activity, and I became what was then known as a “aerobics instructor” fairly quickly after that. Since that time, I have had a strong appreciation for physical activity of all kinds, including cardio and weight training. In 2017, I made my first discovery of Pilates and immediately began teacher training.
I truly believe that staying active throughout my life has been the single most important factor in maintaining not only my health but also my happiness and resilience in the face of adversity.
I suffered a large pulmonary embolism followed by a cardiac arrest seven years ago, yet I was able to make a full and speedy recovery from both events. I have no doubt that my dedication to engaging in regular exercise aided in my recovery and continues to ensure that I am in good health.
How will you make room for it?
I do not understand how I could not make time for it given that I have been teaching and working out consistently for more than 30 years. My life would not be the same without regular workouts.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
It brings me so much joy to share my passion for Pilates with others and to show them all the ways in which a regular fitness routine can improve not just their physical health but also their mental and spiritual well-being.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
Refrain from putting labels and self-limiting notions on oneself, such as “I am not flexible” or “I am weak.” Instead, challenge these beliefs and refuse to accept them. Instead, shift your emphasis to what is accessible to you right now and what you are capable of accomplishing, and you will probably be pleasantly surprised by the results!
Massiel Arias (Massy Arias)
- Age: 32
- Place: Los Angeles, in the state of California
- Occupation: health and fitness instructor
Why do you exercise?
There are a lot of different reasons “why” I work out, but the most superficial one is because I want to look better.
Movement has not only been the outlet that has helped me recover from major depressive illness over the past ten years, but it is also the outlet that I use to maintain mental health and take care of my entire health and well-being.
I was a young lady who lived an unhealthy lifestyle, struggled with body dysmorphia, and had been raised in a culture that encouraged unhealthy behaviors and put a cultural emphasis on sickness.
How will you make room for it?
The same manner that an average person gets out of bed every morning to clean their teeth is the same way that I find time to work out. Not only because it is my field of study and what I teach, but also because it is the vehicle that enables me to continue to effect positive change in people’s lives in the same manner that it was effected in mine.
For me, being active is not a chore but rather a way of life.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
A fresh realization dawns upon me on the meaning of life with each passing year. I never want to find myself back where I was ten years ago. That is a place I want to avoid at all costs. Movement is something that I’ve been doing for the past ten years, and throughout that time I’ve never once become tired of it. This is because there are always new challenges to overcome and new skills to acquire.
I started off barely moving at all and ended up becoming well-rounded in many different training disciplines while competing alongside some of the most incredible athletes in the world. How am I not going to be motivated to keep going when I look at how much potential I can unleash each day?
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
People who seem to have no errors in their behavior are actually those who have committed every error in the book; you shouldn’t be frightened to fail. You never fail; either you learn something valuable or you emerge victorious from the experience.
Newson, Mikey and
- Age: 26
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Occupation: head trainer at Row House Chicago.
Why do you exercise?
For me, working out and maintaining a healthy body is a spiritual practice. Without physical activity, I have no idea where I’d be. For me, beginning or ending each day with something that makes me happy is the best way to get through the day.
How will you make room for it?
The answer to that question is going to be determined by the plans I have for the day. On the days that I am teaching classes first thing in the morning, I will sometimes squeeze in my own workout later in the afternoon. When I have classes to teach in the evening, I make sure to get in a run or a high-intensity interval training session in the morning at home.
Now, whenever I have several classes scheduled for the same day, such as classes in the morning and classes in the evening, those sessions will serve as my exercises for the day given that we exercise alongside our members in classes.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
The pleasure I derive from doing it is the driving force behind my determination to keep doing it. For some, it’s comparable to drinking coffee. My day is doomed to failure if it does not include some form of physical activity. I can’t spend a single day without working out, even if it’s just a stretching exercise at the very least.
It goes without saying that the advantages of working out are yet another factor that keeps me motivated, but there is more to it for me than just the physical rewards.
Another thing that keeps me going is being a trainer and showing others that working out is about more than just striving to look good; it’s also about feeling good. I help other people understand that. In addition to this, serving as an example for the values that I uphold.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
When I hear members of the group say things like “they’re too old” or “it’s too late to get back into shape,” I tell them: “You’re forever young,” and that they shouldn’t let their age define who they are.
In addition, I believe that it is never too late to start working toward a healthier and more successful version of yourself. You have to have the desire for it, and with some help from a trusted buddy, you’ll be able to achieve it—and this can happen at ANY point in your life! You have earned joy in each and every one of your waking moments.
Brittany Noel Robles, Doctor of Medicine
- Age: 32
- Place of business: New York City
OB-GYN chief resident is the job description.
Why do you exercise?
I engage in physical activity in order to prepare my body to meet and overcome any challenges that may be thrown its way. A ride with my friends that covers fifty miles? No problem! On a Sunday morning, how about a jog of three miles? Sure, let’s do it! Hike Angels Landing with no prior preparation? Please, count me in!
How will you make room for it?
I wake up early in the morning so that I can work physical activity into my otherwise packed routine. On a daily basis, I set my alarm for half an hour to an hour and a half earlier than normal in order to fit in a workout. Working out first thing in the morning provides me with a significant amount of energy that helps me get the most out of my day.
Knowing that I have already taken care of my workout first thing in the morning gives me the peace of mind that I need, and it also frees up time for me to accomplish other things when I get home from work.
On the days when I don’t have a scheduled workout, I ride my bike to and from work. It’s a relaxing and enjoyable way to get around town, especially on the days when I don’t have a workout scheduled.
What motivates you to carry on despite the challenges?
What motivates me to work hard is the hope that, after I retire, I will be able to travel the world with my spouse. When I say “explore,” I’m referring to activities such as walking, climbing, swimming, biking, and so on. The best way for me to keep my dream alive is to take care of my body by working out and eating right.
What uplifting proverb or notion can you pass on to others to motivate them?
Don’t judge your own worth by the standards of others. Every one of us begins someplace, yet our paths diverge from there. Live your life to the fullest and strive to be the best version of yourself.