Why do you work out?

Do you work out for:

- Physical Benefits (slimming down, muscle definition, looking better - but could care less about the health properties)

- Mental Benefits (happier, more optimistic about everyday events, more energy, stress relief)

- Health Benefits (reduction of cardiovascular disease and many other ailments)

- Punishment (eating too much so you must "burn it off" or not eating right)

OR DO YOU DO ALL OF THESE THINGS??

OR do you just not work out at all?

All of them, actually!!

Why do you?

I work out for the FIRST THREE reasons - I don't punish myself for eating too much by working out - I just say it is what it is and work out the following day and feel all of the first three benefits! They certainly cannot be beat!!

Same with me. I only work out for the first three. If I eat too much I just tell myself it'll help me gain muscle (even if its not necessarily true it helps).

Mostly, I work out for #1 - I want to be stronger so I can take care of my kids and myself.

#2&3 also figure into it, as well as the looking better part of #1, but mostly it really was a daily life issue.

I don't feel guilty enough for eating badly to exercise more to make up for it.  Nope, sorry, it just doesn't work that way for me.

The first three for me as well. If I were to rank them it would be #1, #3 then #2. The whole punishment thing didn't even occur to me.

#1 and #3.  Though more the "to be stronger" aspect rather than the "to be thinner" aspect of #1; I need to be able to open my own jam jars.   

To be honest, I don't get any mental benefit from working out.  It doesn't relieve stress for me and I don't get the endorphin rush that 75% or so of the population does.  Nor does it give me more energy - though eating healthy gives me a lot more energy compared to eating junk.  The actual exercise itself may be fun (if I pick the right one), but I don't get the "gee, I feel good now that I've exercised" thing.  That's why I have to stick to workouts I enjoy for themselves.

Mostly 1 & 2. I feel like my diet takes care of #3 (though I'm aware my physical fitness plays a part).

1. The #1 reason why I started wanting to lose weight years ago was physical.

2. If I work out, I forget about everything else. I found out that Michael Jackson died before a workout and I totally forgot about it until I was finished!

- stamina, endurance, strength. That that belongs to Number 1 or 3?

- Mental health.

- weight loss.

Physical, mental, health - never punishment.  I don't over eat.  When I can't get to the gym for some reason,  I miss it.  It just makes me feel good.

Physical first, as I quit smoking after 33 years and didn't want the weight gain since I was already over weight.

Then I realized there was a great deal of stress reduction during my workout sessions.  I don't think about anything, so it's very calming for me.

Now I've added the health benefits, as I am down about 50 lbs from where I started, and am feeling so very much better.

I think the mental health has been the most important for me.  It definately keeps me sane.  lol

For me, it's 1, 2 and 3.  I am one that definitely feels the difference in terms of stress reduction after a workout, so that's a big factor - I really feel a lot better afterwards.  It works way better than stuffing my face ever did in terms of relieving stress and anxiety.

I also have gotten a huge health benefit from it (well, along with the weight loss), in that my blood pressure has come down to normal without medication and I now have a resting heart rate somewhere around 50.  Also, now my HDL level is optimum and so is my blood sugar.

And then there is the strength aspect of it.  I discovered that I absolutely love weight lifting, and I'm after muscles and strength, not just muscle definition.  I'm one of those that wouldn't mind a little more "bulk", but it's darn hard to come by.

That last category is a little scary - I've been sitting here pondering whether I've ever done that because I'd rather stay aware of hurtful thought patterns.  I have certainly spent an extra half hour on the treadmill if I knew I had a fancy dinner coming up or was going over to Mom's (never low calorie fare).  I didn't think of it as punishment though, more like balancing out a little bit of extra food.

Mental. Working out give me an adren. rush like nothing else. It empowers me, improves my emotional state/moods..gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

I want to live a long time and not be physcially limited to doing things when I get older...so, next would be health. Besides the action of working out, nutrition is a large part of my work out plan and getting overall optimal health reflects in EVERYTHING we can or cannot do in life.

Then, it would also be physical...bc to me, there is nothing more hot than a fit body.

Mental benefits definitely come first.  I love the runner's high!  Physical benefits come in second..  not as much to make me look fitter, but to feel stronger and for competitive reasons.  Health is factored in, I used to be a smoker and love to be able to run up a flight of stairs without getting short of breath.

All of them -- and although I won't call it punishment I call it exercise to eat more without the guilt- if I overeat I don't exercise to burn it off - but I do love woking out so I can eat more or have a special treat guilt free.

For me, it's 1, 2 and 3 (all equally ranked)...and NEVER 4.  

Mainly #2.  In fact although I used to do lots of dancing as a child, the first time I excercised at the gym was at a time when some pretty bad things were going on in my life and I was having trouble sleeping and excercising sorted that out.  Nowadays I tend to forget how much better excercise makes me feel, but if I miss too many days I can suddenly find myself wondering why I feel so down in the dumps.  It's a funny thing.

I don't watch what I eat really at all, though I tend to enjoy quite a lot of healthy foods I think... but I also adore chocolate.  I think I could eat my own weight in chocolate every day.  I am not sure I actually have a chocolate limit that I could reach.  And so excercise does help in a #4 sense.  But I never excercise for the reason to burn off extra food.  In fact I often find that on days that I don't excercise or excercise less I get hungrier and in fact eat more.  I have never counted a calorie in my life and if I eat too much one day then.. who cares?  Not me!  But I guess I do enjoy the fact that because I excercise I can not care what I eat.  And maybe that's not the best way to be.  But I figure life's too short to bother worrying about stuff like that.  Maybe one day I'll feel differently, but it's how I am for now.

#1 and #3.  I don't really think it's much about either of these for me either.  As much as I would like to be fit and increase my fitness (and perhaps at times also enjoy countering the thoughts of any who might think I am a weak little girl), I think this comes below other motivations for excercising and is more a happy result of excercise.  And as for physical benefits, the only time I've thought of anything like that has been when I've tried a favourite piece of clothing on and it hasn't fitted.  And even then I've generally just thought oh well, hopefully it will again one day.

Reasons 2 and 3. It's all mental and physical health.

A colleague and I discovered that if we got out of the orifice at lunch and did some speed walking/talkling to blow off steam at a nearby mall, the rest of the work day was a easier mentally. As a secondary benefit, we both started losing more weight.

I also further both reasons when I do morning yoga and meditation.

Neither 1 nor 4 apply to me at all. I do not care whether or not I look buff - with the exception that I am very pleased with my fab posture. I never worry about burning if I eat too much or worry about that at all. If I eat more than I planned, well, that's what I did that time, it's not a reflection on me nor do I consider myself a failure. I don't correct myself through physical punishment (exercise) or work to burn off exactly what I ate.

My main reason for working out is to be a good role model for my kids.  I have three girls and I want them to grow up to be strong, fit women.  Last week my four year old told me that she needs to eat lots of vegetables and exercise like me so that she can be big and strong too and I just about burst with pride.

I also mostly workout for health reasons.  I want to be the grandma who has the energy to play with her grandkids and run around the yard and go for bike rides.  The fact that I feel good after a workout and look better now that I'm in better shape are great but secondary.

It used to be for the last reason... I worked out to minimize the effects of what I ate.

But since last October I decided to change... I had always been at an healthy weight. I'm tall and have always been thin... but my cholesterol and triglycerdides were above the normal range.

With a healthier diet and lots of exercise. I look a lot leaner even though I didn't lose that many weight. But the best part is I got back the results from my blood analysis and my cholesterol and triglycerides are now within the "normal" range. So proud of myself!!!

So now it's for the first 3 reasons!

I workout simply because I get such a buzz off training hard and getting stronger.  IMO physique is a bonus and has less importance than gaining strength.