What was it that made you start working out?

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I think everyone has to hit some point where they just say "that's it, time to get in shape" What one thing prompted you to start taking your health seriously? For me, I was going through a separation from my wife and felt that if I was in better shape it would help our marriage. Well needless to say it didn't and we got divorced a year later. Now I stay in shape for me to keep active and travel.
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Replies

  • patrickblo13
    patrickblo13 Posts: 831 Member
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    I couldn't enjoy the activities I enjoyed doing because I was out of shape
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    Couldn't ride a roller coaster at Kings Island amusement park.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    Cabin fever. I don't like sitting on the couch feeling life pass me by, but my anxiety goes away as soon as I start doing something. Even just being outdoors helps. Going for a bike ride with friends is more fun and fulfilling than being at home.
  • kevinf2380
    kevinf2380 Posts: 256 Member
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    I stopped liking what I saw in the mirror. I can hardly recognize myself in photos now from when I was in shape. I'm sorry to hear about your divorce Ghostlight1.
  • badnoodle
    badnoodle Posts: 216 Member
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    I started losing weight well before I began doing purposeful exercise. But I was terrified of losing the muscle I knew existed inder the blubber, and the only way to do that was to make it work, hard and regularly.
  • SkinnyFatBGone
    SkinnyFatBGone Posts: 59 Member
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    Pre hypertension at a relatively young age.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,370 Member
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    High blood pressure, pre-diabeties, etc - all were scary but not nearly as scary as the thought of missing out on seeing my daughter and grand kids grow up because I was too lazy to do something about my health when I could.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I was 37 with terrible flexibility, cardio endurance, etc. I pretty much decided that wasn't how I wanted to spend the next 30-50 years so I needed to do something about it.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Fear of premature death.....
  • Anabug81
    Anabug81 Posts: 161 Member
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    I was tired of buying large size clothes!
  • tiggerlove
    tiggerlove Posts: 225 Member
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    Tired of buy 2x clothes and because of my knee and back and better overall health.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    When my son poked my beer gut and asked "when is it due?"...and I am a dude. It made me lose a 50 pound beer gut that I had for twenty five years. So glad he did that, but not at the time.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    I wanted uninterrupted time with my 9-year-old daughter. We did our own version of C25K before I knew what it was. I found that running at a talking pace was actually fun and kept going. Then, I just loved being fit and finding out how fun and easy more strenuous activities were (climbing a mountain) :)
  • gnruggirello
    gnruggirello Posts: 5 Member
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    Depression. I started working out again because I was super depressed from the meds my doctor prescribe me. I also gained weight on them. I wanted to be happy again and my therapist continuously told me to workout to release endorphins.
  • MCTay23
    MCTay23 Posts: 20 Member
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    rsclause wrote: »
    When my son poked my beer gut and asked "when is it due?"...and I am a dude. It made me lose a 50 pound beer gut that I had for twenty five years. So glad he did that, but not at the time.
    yeah same for me, my kid said I had boobies like mommy :(

    a combination of that, lack of intimacy with girlfriend likely because of weight, and was tired of sweating in public places just from walking around the grocery store having to carry a washcloth

    now, i hit the gym where sweating is encouraged and acceptable
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    It's two different questions for me...
    "What was it that made you start working out?" - a bullying culture at school, I started working out at age 14, bullies tend to leave people alone who fight back.

    "What one thing prompted you to start taking your health seriously?"
    - turning 50 was my trigger and a reality check, a bit of it's now or never feeling. I was fat and fairly fit through my 30's and 40's but thought the likelihood of being fat, fit AND healthy beyond that seemed unlikely.
  • Zenwenner
    Zenwenner Posts: 166 Member
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    I was sitting on the couch watching the Olympics in 2010, and I thought to myself - look at what those people can do...why can't I? So I shut off the tv and got up off my butt. 60 lbs and 6 years later, here I am. Still working on it, but in far better health that I've ever been!
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
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    Getting more difficult to breathe with my gut as that impacted my asthma.
  • WynterDreaming
    WynterDreaming Posts: 83 Member
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    Because all my goals require me to not only loose weight, but to be able to run and jump as well.
  • Bee_Le
    Bee_Le Posts: 48 Member
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    My clothes stop fitting!