My mother insisted that I do some sort of physical activity when I was young. She didn't have those opportunities when she was young, and so she insisted that I join a dance or sports team. When I, at age 11, spectacularly quit one group, she waited until the next school year started and then went "Okay, what sports team are you joining this year?" I joined the running group at my school and have been doing it ever since. My first year doing it I was absolute garbage, but I got better year by year, as my teammates taught me many things about proper form and how to run safely. Running is great because it's cheap, it can still be done safely in pandemic times, and taking the time for a run gives you a chance to turn things over in your head. It's almost like meditation.

I'm the type of person who hates routine when it comes to exercise. I get bored and start resenting the gym. I grew up in a modern dance company/community, so I think that contributed to me being bored when it comes to a lot of sports. Now I enjoy biking, exploring new places on the bike. Also like hiking or going on jogs/walks while listening to music. I've also wanted to try yoga but I haven't been able to fall in love with it like a lot of people I know. The only thing I get really excited for now is still dance classes---all types. And they're always a great workout, never boring.

I'm one of the people who absolutely hates exercise. Don't even try to tell me there's some enjoyable exercise out there for me because there ISN'T lol. I promise, I've tried it ALL. So I didn't get into fitness until I got to the point I was so out of shape that I was physically uncomfortable. For example, on long walks I'd get winded much quicker than I should for my age lol.

My solution to my hatred of exercise is to only do exercise that allows me to do other things while exercising lol. Right now, I mainly do workout videos at home with the videos on mute while I listen to podcasts or audiobooks. I've also done this on a treadmill or elliptical when I had access to those machines. But the only way I can do weights is with the videos at home. If I tried to do them without the videos, I'd have to actually think about what I was doing instead of mindlessly following the video, which I can't cuz I hate it lol.

I just like feeling strong and capable. I never want to have to ask someone to do something for me or have people assume I can't do something. Often if I'm at work and we're moving heavy things I'm the only woman doing it with the men while the other women carry the light things or stand by and watch. I just like to be able to take care of myself. I hate being dependent.

Also, this is not related to fitness, but I've always been well known for being able to open things. Like men from other floors who I've never even met before will come to me and say I can't open this and I heard you're good at opening things and somehow I'll get it to open. I just like being competent at things you know 🙂

I like adventure, thus, I want to stay fit so I can do them. Fitness isn't an end for me.

Before I got married/pregnant, hubs and I were doing ballroom dancing 3 or 4 times a week. The waltz is basically just jogging in a circle, with style. Truly. And an hour of cha cha will make you sweat yourself out.

We like white water rafting. I like kayaking but he's not super into it.

You gotta be fit, though, to really be able to do any of those things. Pregnancy caused me two ankle injuries and then a c section, so I've been basically sedentary for a month. Did some more technical rafting (precision over power) last weekend. Wanna get back into shape for longer trips. :)

For now though-- stroller walks!!

I started weightlifting when I was in sixth grade! Both of my parents have always been really into fitness, so it was kind of inevitable, but I started specifically because I had started fencing that year, and the sword was too heavy to hold properly, so I always ended up kind of propping my elbow up on my hipbone. Which is definitely NOT how you fence, lol! My dad used to be a physical trainer, so he gave me a really basic full-body routine in our home gym, and soon I was a much better fencer. I've won bronze and silver in competitions! Ever since I started college I've gone through phases of not working out as much and getting back into it, of which I am currently in a "working out again" phase. I like being strong (and, as much as I try not to focus on appearance, I like being buff). Right now my goal is to be able to carry my fiancee around! With COVID (and in general, because it's never been my thing) I'd like to get more into something aerobic, since it doesn't require a gym, but I have difficulty getting into it.

I'm one of those annoying people who love exercise. Like, I don't just love how I feel afterward-- I love actually doing it. For me, it is a solitary activity, and that seems to rub some people the wrong way, like my mother. "Join some classes; why do it alone?" Why? Because it keeps me sane and gives me time to think about what I will write later that day. Also, yoga is one part of my fitness life, and frankly, I just don't want to be part of that "community." Too many horror stories out there.

I usually work out 6 days a week, sometimes only 5 if there's a lot of other stuff going on, like during the holiday season. I try to split it evenly between Leslie Sansone walking videos and the yoga videos on Ellen Barrett's Mindful Movement site. Though both of these women have their "problematic" sides (one has appeared on CBN and the other seems to have some strange libertarian beliefs), their programs have been so beneficial to me that I just kind of let it go.

Athlete in high school, plagued with injuries ever since. Multiple knee surgeries. I have to keep moving or I will seize up entirely. I'm in my late 40s now. I went through a running phase, a serious bikram yoga phase, got into weight lifting after I had my first kid (to combat issues with back pain and posture and the knee). I've worked with trainers, done barre and dance, spinning, lap swimming....there's always something new.

Due to covid I haven't been going to the gym but I live in hiking trail world so I do that a lot. I bought an exercise bike and I can do that and work and stream videos and stuff. It's surprisingly enjoyable to use what would otherwise be sedentary time that way.

I think that I like exercises that have ritual to them and through repetition I can get into a zone. Like running or lap swimming or bikram yoga. The exact same thing, the intensity is up to you. Weight training has its own zone you can get into but I find it harder to do that and I do weight training more out of necessity than love.

I didn't have a great relationship with my body for a very long time. I had a severe eating disorder. I am 5'11" and have been this tall since I was 14. Immediately I was called "man" and "manly" Because of my size and strength. Of course society demands women to be slight, small, thin and so forth. I though the only way I could achieve this was to be a waif. I was called "beautiful" and "attractive" by men(even grown men) when I lost A LOT of weight. As I got older, maintaining this was difficult. Age does bring change and so forth. I started going to the gym and doing INSANE cardio and workout bands while literally just drinking slim fast shakes. I was a mess. After what I call a nervous breakdown and being gone from the gym for a year, I gained weight. My life at that point hit all kinds of crossroads. I decided going to the gym would help. At this point (post breaking point) I changed my frame of thinking. Being skinny didn't help me or other women. Being skinny took over my whole life. Being skinny gained me access that could be taken away from me immediately. Why do I want to continue to do this to myself to no avail. I felt lied to, hurt and all of the above and that rage inspired me. It inspired me to be a lifting,strong, boxing, combat trained woman. I just had enough.

i played a lot of sports when i was younger, but fell out of it in my 20s just because i got so busy. i got back into it in recent years because i realized i was starting to feel like a brain in a jar, and not a very good one at that. it was so demoralizing. but working out is empowering and helps me love my body for what it can do, rather than just thinking about what it looks like, or how achey my back is after sitting at my computer all day. I love lifting but I haven't done it much since covid. yoga is a go-to when i'm at home. kickboxing is amazing too. nothing gets out stress like a good roundhouse kick :)

i don't know if it is fitness, but i practice yoga at home. i'm not very good at it, but i get better little by little. i was NOT into yoga but i needed something to be less sedentary and it was accessible for me (youtube tutorials). so i gave it a go and after one month i was into it to the point where i actually miss it when i don't practice.

i think i keep coming back for more becaues of 1) endorphines, they are produced when we do exercise and they make us feel good in the brain and 2) my progress motivates me. there are postures that are quite challenging and after sometime of practice i notice i've gotten better and am stronger than before. this is amazing and i just love feeling strong!

I'm a runner. I started when I had a job as a valet in college, which involves a lot of running. Every other time I ran to get a car, I got money, which is great pavlovian positive reinforcement. Plus, I would get off work every night and eat a small pizza and pint of my favorite ice cream and I was still super skinny... and healthy.

I started running longer distances after pregnancy/HELLP syndrome and through some pretty intense PPA/PPD. It was one of the few things that kept me sane. And started with triathlons when just running got a little stale which I loved.