28 Things That Are Worth Getting In Shape For

Fitness has everything to do with body and mind. The endorphins and hormones that exercise produces does amazing things for sleep, mood, weight loss, sex life, and overall happiness. —Emily Steele, via Facebook

Having the ability to unleash your inner power at any given moment. Inner power is not just physical fitness, but mental fitness. Fitness abilities, physical and mental, make up the incredible individual that you are. —torin496b6c8d4

It means being able to physically do whatever I want to do. I'm 52 years old... and I've run almost 50 marathons and ultramarathons in the last 10 years, I still snowboard with my kids, I mountain bike, rock climb, do flips off the diving board, whatever I want. And I have no intention of slowing down. —Thom Patterson, via Facebook

It means being able to chase an evil toddler when you ask her to come here and she clearly decides "here" is in the opposite direction... it means being able to carry all 40 pounds of her like a Gronk heading for the end zone when she's gone full shenanigans in public. —Holly Haddad, via Facebook

Fitness to me means being mentally and physically happy. I suffered from really bad anxiety but once I began running/working out I felt like it all melted away. —Tara Roy, via Facebook

To me, fitness is more of a mind-set than anything else. It means striving for balance within one's life, and creating goals for yourself along the way. —Holly Kruggel, via Facebook

Well, for me, it's just being able to be emotionally stable. I don't care to get my six-pack back. I just wanna be happy again. —Rebekah Marie Byrd, via Facebook

It's a sign that I am bettering myself from where I used to be, also it's opening doors that I didn't even know about in life. —Aaron Lassen, via Facebook

I always thought that fit = happy, and happy = skinny, and skinny = pretty. I never really thought of being fit as being in a good state of health... I'm slowly starting to realize that being fit should equal happiness and no health issues relating to your weight. —adaira

When I'm not afraid to go outside and I do go outside for hours-long walks, then I feel fit because my mind and body are functioning as a team. —jillianp3

Fitness means being in control of my body. As a 22-year-old cancer survivor, feeling strong is very important. Health gives me that feeling. —saras4fe00de7c

Personally, fitness is my way of staying positive and feeling good about myself. It has helped me through one of the worst moments in my life and made me sane. It's also my way of meditation. —tiffanyw4f77f2f53

For me fitness is the ability to endure more during the day. I work out to build strength and flexibility in order to combat chronic pain. So every day I work out, I gain a little more endurance and relief. —aliciareneeg

Having my degree in sports science and working with the general public and elite athletes, fitness to me is being able to exceed your goals. —Samantha Fong

It also helps keep me out of the wheelchair I fought so desperately hard to escape. Learning to walk is by far the biggest fitness accomplishment in my life. —Natalie Zeimer, via Facebook

It means overcoming an eating disorder while being able to view food and exercise as good, not evil. It means combating debilitating self-image issues, to be proud and not ashamed of the reflection that stares back at me when I look in the mirror. It means reshaping my lifestyle, mind-set, and overall self in order to be happy and healthy. —Emily Waitson, via Facebook

Happiness, strength, and a release of anxiety. —Tia Bernagozzi, via Facebook

Fitness means to me shooting hoops, learning how to play that perfect layup, and having fun. —Maia Willis Reddick, via Facebook