Started: I started exercising in high school to look "good." Same reason over many years. I also just really enjoyed walking.

Now: I am going to turn 40. I still want to look good. Now, though, I want to be healthy too. I want my blood work at my 40-year GME to be great. I want the energy to work on my garden forever. I want to be healthy for my kids. My 18 y/o gets worried about me when he sees grey hair on my head, but I can cover that up. Can't really cover up being unhealthy, not really. Also, I realize now how much better my mood is and how much more energy l have when I exercise. I still really enjoy walking and hiking.

Started: Because one day I looked up from my recliner chair and realized that I was moving less and less, gaining more and more, feeling worse and worse - and I was scared beyond reason that I might not escape what I viewed as a sedentary death spiral.

Now: Because I CAN. Because I do love food. But more, because I love to be badass.

That's about it.

First exercise I ever enjoyed I was 17, found hatha yoga. All I did through college and following years. Fast forward to the day John Lennon was shot. I did not deal well with that. After a few months, I was fat and depressed, unable to even do basic yoga moves. I started doing aerobic dancing in my house to Beatles music, eventually signed up at a fitness studio for women and continued doing aerobics for several years, got over my depressed state and lost the weight. Fast forward again, just returned to the USA after living in Australia for 4.5 years, got depressed again and put on over 50 lbs., had pain in hips and knees and hands. Switched to 40/30/30 eating and again with the aerobics, along with mountain hiking and walking. That got me through menopause without killing anyone or myself as I got happy and healthy and fit. 10 yrs on, I am back at it. Looking for alternatives to aerobics only for weight loss, so started picking up hand weights along with the dance moves, just recently found Body Flex classes and am progressing to weighted barbells. I want to have a healthy retirement, move well, and enjoy my time on this earth.

I have changed and my goals have changed. I actually enjoy exercising now, I had not enjoyed anything but the yoga before, but I did it anyway.

Nice thread SS.

I started exercising because I participated in sports/activities in high school.
In my 20's I exercised for physical appearance.
Now in my 30's, I exercise for stress management in managing a career and family, for the immediate feeling of accomplishment with each workout, general health, and physical appearance.

And of course...for MOAR food.

tl;dr: I started because I felt like *kitten* and exercise let me eat more. I keep going for the rush. I'm hugely competitive with myself, the more I lift, the more I want to

Book version
I played all the sports in school for the first few years. When I hit Grade 7 exercising was only for 'jocks' and since I was already chubby by that time I wasn't athletic enough to fit in with them or pretty (skinny) enough to be with the cheerleaders so I stopped.

Through my 20's I never dieted and managed to keep my weight mostly in check because I had a series of really demanding jobs (waiting tables, bar tending, order picking) I went back to school in 99' to do a degree in computer science and came out gaining 10 lbs per semester for 9 semesters. Went in a size 6/8 came out a 22, got married and kept packing it on.

I divorced and went the next 6 years feeling horrible, sore, tired, joints aching etc. Eventually I decided that I really needed to do something about my weight so I joined a gym and spent 6 months with a trainer. I lost 12 lbs - which was ideal but at the time I still didn't know what a healthy rate was - and about 2400$ I gave up because I wasn't seeing the results that I thought I should see.

When I met my current boyfriend neither one of us had much money so we did a lot of 'free' dates which included walking and hiking. I got active again but I was finding it pretty tough to keep up with my boyfriend at my high weight. When we went to Europe for the first time in 2011 I was about 220lbs and I felt like a beached whale around all the much more slender European ladies. When I came home I was determined to do something about it. I joined MFP and started losing. I upped my activity and by the time I had lost 60 lbs I decided I should join a gym. I started with the typical cardio, areobics, fuzzy pink barbells they give the girls. It was ok but I didn't find I enjoyed it very much.

Thanks to MFP and the people around here I decided to try weight lifting and now I'm hooked. I love the feeling of being one of the only girls in the free weight section and having the guys boggle when I start doing the same exercises as them with 'their' weights (admittedly I am not NEARLY as bad *kitten* as that, but most of the the guys at my gym don't seem to use big weights ) For some reason now I see them as competition so it's my goal to beat them all Bwahahaha!

Started: As a teen mom I wanted to get out of the house so started walking with the baby in a stroller. Now that baby is 36. I continued to walk, even when obese, and just always liked how it made me feel. I added yoga for the same reason around 17 years ago, I liked how my body felt afterwards. I started strength training per doctors orders to increase bone density 3 years ago.

Now: I love feeling stronger from lifting weights, and I love seeing the progression as I'm able to lift more. I have more confidence. I love that as I age, I can do more things for myself (like going to Home Depot and lifting a bag of potting soil by myself). I love that lifting has made my yoga practice better. I love that I can pick up my grandkids easily and run around with them. I love that my body is looking better than I ever have. I added in hiking once a week and enjoy being outside.

When I don't or can't exercise for more than a week or so, I feel lethargic, my joints hurt, I don't have much energy, and I don't sleep well.

Started: I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes with my first daughter. When she was 18mths old I started MFP and working out, classes, cardio, 5k's, etc and I started to really enjoy it. 18mths later I was 2lbs away from goal weight, got pregnant with baby #2 and started all over again. And to add - I really wanted to feel confident in the way I looked.

Now: Still working on losing the last bit of weight from baby #2 (19mths old now), but this has turned into life for me. Teaching my kids to move as a part of life to be healthy. I also picked up lifting and SL5x5 about 6 months ago and I became addicted to the high. And still working on feeling good about this body of mine from the outside.

started: i got out of shape after college and go to 285. I then decided i was going to go to the gym every day and said that i was going to get to 'fitness magazine shape', i didn't say it was a goal, i said i would.

now...still same goal 4 years later, i've gone to the gym practically every single day since then. and w\the goal well, it sure is taking longer than i hoped ha.