What has inspired you the most, and keeps you working out?

K

Kit_

Cathlete
Since the topic of being secretive about our fitness came up, and realizing how few and far between healthy fit women there are. I was wondering what was has inspired you the most to keep healthy and fit? And what keeps you working out?

For me, what has really inspired me is Lance Armstrong, seeing him be able to defeat cancer and be able to race on a bike for 2240 miles in about 22 days and win. This really helped me during the really dark time of my health when I kept being told I'd never walk nor be a personal trainer ever again.

What keeps me going, is knowing if I don't, I will get sick and will not be able to be there for my family. But more of a burden that they really don't deserve, as I was the bad one who didn't eat healthy and workout. I just can't punish those who love me, by being lazy, and tossing my health out the window. To me that's just not fair to anyone. As well as all the nice feeling of working out brings, and the energy of eating healthy, and just being able to having fun with those that I love, and be able to do whatever it is they want to do.

Kit
 
For me, I see working out as an investment. In myself, my future, my husband's future, and my potential children's futures.

I'm like you with the fear of what would happen (again) if I didn't work out. I remember those years as good socially, but terrible physically. Lots of dinners out with the BF who turned into DH! ;)

BUT my primary motivation was, I have to admit, at the very beginning, QUEEN SIZE UNDERWEAR. I was in the store and realized that's what I needed to buy. I left without purchasing them, thought about what I had become, signed up for weight watchers, and got back into working out.

I haven't looked back since. And, I'm the proud owner of a GOLD victoria's secret card! LOL
 
My kids. I want to see them grow up. I don't want to die young. Also knowing that if I have ANY kind of fitness ? or problem someone on the forum can answer it. Knowing that I have the willingness and energy to get up and move.:)
 
This is a great thread.

I think what inspires me the most is how great I feel when I workout.....about myself, and everything and everyone around me. I have the energy I need to keep up with a job, my kids, the pets, and generally running a household by myself. I want to be able to ward off diseases and ailments that I can control as much as possible through diet and exercise. I know environment and heredity have a lot to do with but I also believe a healthy lifestyle gives you quantity of life as well as quality of life.

Plus, I want to make sure I look hot for my man! LOL! }(


Angie
 
I'm already amazed at how similar these reasons seem to be!! I love it!! No wonder we all love the forum.

Thanks for this thread!
 
The energy I have to face whatever life throws at me. Oh, I might have a little pity party for myself when something really gets me down, but I pick myself up and go on. I just feel so much better, and exercising helps me releave tension. I also gain weight easily. If I don't workout hard, I don't like the way I look.

It's one of those things that you have no idea how good you'll feel until you do it, then once you get there, you don't want to stop. I view exercise and a fairly healthy diet (eat well 90% of the time) as the most important things you can do for your body and yourself.
 
What inspires me to work out is my perfectionist, "A" type, depressive personality.

I am happier when I workout regularly. It keeps major depressive episodes at bay, helps me to maintain perspective, which I lost a few years back. It forces me to stop working and worrying and spend a little time on "self-care", without which I might be carted off to the nearest psyche unit!

Too many women lose themselves at some time in their 30's and 40's because professional and family demands force them to try and "do everything" and never look after themselves and it is now the learned conclusion of both feminism and medical science that such a path leads to ill-health and misery. It did in my case.

I need exercise to feel alive. To feel my limbs moving through space, hear my heart thumping, hear my lungs drawing rhythmic breaths...it's a kind of melody that leads to inner peace. It is as natural for me to go out and walk for hours as it is for a child to run, jump and skip. Why do we give it up as adults?

Clare
 
RE: What has inspired you the most, and keeps you worki...

Wow, Clare--I'm right there with you. Perfectionist, type A, and depressive, with lots of worrying and anxiety. But I find that exercise gives me perspective, self-confidence, a feeling of accomplishment and lots and lots of energy. I can't live without it--it makes me happy.

Actually, it's my firm belief that sitting at a desk all day is not natural or healthy, both from a physical and a psychological standpoint.
 
For me its pure and simple VANITY! I want to look my best and feel my best. The rest is just perks like health etc. I am not afraid to admit I do it to have a nice r looking body. It;s for me and all about me. I am so ocd about workouts that I miss one and I feel fat and ugly and depressed. I envy people who can take rest days and still feel good. Sometimes I dream of a rest day even a rest week but for me for now I can't and still feel good about myself. I know some people are going to hate me for my honsety but there it is. It's kinda like a eating disorder but it's a exercise disorder maybe...

Terri
 
RE: What has inspired you the most, and keeps you worki...

Why would anyone hate you! :( I am willing to bet that vanity plays a part for a lot of people. For me, part of the self-confidence that I get from exercise relates to vanity--I feel better about myself in part because I look better. I don't want to be out of shape and overweight--it drives me to work out.

Also, I don't know the specifics of your workouts or your life and whether you are ocd or not. But your comments made me think: Isn't it odd that someone who sits at work all day, then goes home and sits in front of the tv isn't considered to be ocd about sitting and inactivity. It's called sedentary, but it's basically considered "normal." But someone who has the drive and dedication to stick to working out and get results and be advanced enough to do a Cathe workout--that's ocd. (Am speaking generally here, again.) Don't athletes at the top of their sport--Lance Armstrong, say--have to have that kind of drive in order to be the best? And why is it not OCD for them (because they're "professional"), but "abnormal" or OCD for the rest of us, who also love to exercise but don't get paid to do it?

OK, I have thoroughly hijacked the thread at this point. Many apologies! I should be sitting here getting my office work done, but am fascinated by the topics here instead. Think I'll go out for a walk!!

bunbun
 
RE: What has inspired you the most, and keeps you worki...

Several things inspire me. First I want to be the best that I can be. God gave us our body and our lives. I feel blessed that I am in relatively good health and want to keep it that way. I also had a bout of chronic fatigue syndrome about 5 yrs ago. I went from working out 5-6 days a week to barely able to get out of a chair. I had to take a 3 month leave from work. I rested for 2 1/2 months and then started to climb up that hill again. I was only able to do 10 min at a time. It took a while to get back. I noticed that exercise gave me more energy. I have a bad day once in a while but mostly I am doing fine. I now workout 1-1.5 hrs every morning M-F. I do about 2 hrs on Saturday and teach aerobics 2x week. I do mostly Cathe but run on a treadmill once in a while also. I also work doing ultrasounds of the human heart. I see up close everyday what not taking care of yourself does to a person. It breaks my heart to see people a lot younger than me have a hard time breathing and walking due to being very overweight and don't exercise. A girl age 23 came in once. She was very overweight. She saw the treadmill and said: "Oh my I don't have to walk on that do I?" I wish I could change the mindset of some Americans.
 
RE: What has inspired you the most, and keeps you worki...

I workout for several reasons.

1. I absolutely love the feeling of being strong and fit.
2. My mother had 3 nervous breakdowns when I was little and it is definitley hereditary and I know exercising will keep me mentally healthy as well as physically.
3. I have an obsessive personality and it is my obsession.(not a bad one)
4. I want to be a healthy mom and happy mom for my 3 little girls.
5. And, CATHE is my mentor and my total inspiration.
6. Oh, and you catheites, of course.

Susan
 
RE: What has inspired you the most, and keeps you worki...

bunbun,

That was a great post and made me feel so much better about myself. You brought up so many good points and I appreciate it. The ocd part for me is the thought i have about rest days etc. In reaality I know missing a day doesn't make you fat or make your triceps smaller but on the other hand I can't make myself believe it. Thanks again for the post.

terri
 
I'm 45 years old and have a 3 year old daughter so I workout to stay healthy for her.

I have to have a specific goal though to stay consistent with exercise. I think that's why I love to run. I'm a solid middle of the pack runner but I'm always pushing myself to beat myself. Cathe's workouts are inspirational and motivating but it's the posts I read here that continually inspire me to push myself to the next level.
 
My number one reason is health, the body is use or lose it! I exercise to stay healthy, I am a single mother, and have two kids that depend on me, I cannot afford not to be healthy! I am 44 years old and I am proud to say that I am fit, some of my younger friends cannot do the workouts tha I do or keep up with me, I have energy to sell! It is all thanks to healthy eating and exercising six days a week! I also love the way I feel right after a tough workout and take a hot shower, I feel ready to conquer the world!
 
RE: What has inspired you the most, and keeps you worki...

I'm glad I could help, Terri. I've struggled with the issue myself for many years, and still have to mentally "defend" my workouts to myself. As for the rest day issue, I think that's common too--I know I have to absolutely force myself to have a rest day, and even then, half the time it's an active rest day because I wind up getting at least a slow paced walk in to stay sane. I also find that doing Stretch Max helps, too. Search the forum--I know this same issue has come up with other people here, cause that's how I learned I wasn't the only one who felt that way!
 
RE: What has inspired you the most, and keeps you worki...

I'm glad I could help, Terri. I've struggled with the issue myself for many years, and still have to mentally "defend" my workouts to myself. As for the rest day issue, I think that's common too--I know I have to absolutely force myself to have a rest day, and even then, half the time it's an active rest day because I wind up getting at least a slow paced walk in to stay sane. I also find that doing Stretch Max helps, too. Search the forum--I know this same issue has come up with other people here, cause that's how I learned I wasn't the only one who felt that way!
 
I exercise for so many reasons, like others have said already. I do it for me, to feel healthy and be strong and fit. I like the time alone. I don't feel guilty asking DH to mind the kids while I exercise. I like the way working out makes me feel.

I also have had times when I don't work out at all. I still read the posts here, though and that gets me back in the game. This has happened 3 times over the last year and a half and each lapse has gotten shorter (several weeks, 2 weeks and this last one was less than a week...always after a vacation!!).

The ladies here are so inspiring. And it is all thanks to Cathe (and FitTV, where I finally discovered Cathe!!).

Great thread!

Jenn
 
RE: What has inspired you the most, and keeps you worki...

It's just been my own drive for a healthy, fit body, mind and soul. Working out helps me keep "fit" in all ways, not just my body...:)
 
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