The other day a client asked me why do I think most people work out at all?
Of course it got me thinking, you know me, and I thought, yeah what are the major reasons why?
Well after a little trip down memory lane, I came up with these. Let me know what you think.
1.) Vanity: Plain and simple no matter how you try to dress it up or regardless how you word it. When you take out all the preservatives, colors, and artificial politically correct sweeteners, it comes down to you want to look good. Let's be honest. We live in a world that over emphasizes looks way more than is probably good for any of us, but hey it's the truth. I remember reading some research many years ago, that talked about a study done on perceived attractiveness. In it they discussed how even when qualifications were identical, the person perceived more attractive was more often given the job. Same thing happened when it came to giving traffic tickets, etc. So if that's what motivates you and keeps your body healthy and vital, keep doing it!
2.) Endorphins: No matter how much you enjoy looking good from the results of working out, you can't get around that unbelievable "feeling" you have after a good training session. We all know the research behind the "runner's high". All sorts of magazines have discussed the hormones and enzymes that are released into your system after a good "bout of exercise", some even suggesting it's a similar "high" to eating chocolate. If it keeps you moving and healthy, adding quality years to your life, and is an awesome "high" in the process, why not enjoy it. It's free and good for you.
3.) Health: We all know exercise is healthy for us, that's nothing new. But let's be honest, if we all took that common sense to heart would we have a population that is approximately 61% overweight? So no, just knowing exercise is good for you isn't enough to get everyone motivated. People in this category exercise because they know they have to do so. In some cases their doctor has told them they have to exercise or else. This individual, while understanding the benefits of exercise, wasn't moved to action until their life depended on it. What's interesting is that sometimes people motivated for this reason often end up in the other two after a short bit of time. Exercise is funny like that. Regardless of how you get there, the truth of the matter is you're making sure you life is one of quality. Having your health I believe is sometimes one of those things we take for granted.
I bet you don't believe that everyone fits into each of these categories purely as I've written them. But my experience has found that in fact most people do in fact fit into one of the 3 categories above or are a hybrid of each of them. Funny thing, no one ever really bothers to ask why you work out when you're at the gym. Everyone is there just doing their thing for the reasons that move them.
And when you really think about it, that's really all that matters.