Family Portrait

My beautiful, young 78-year-old mother. She plays tennis several times a week and works out at the local health club, always completing two one-hour classes in a row. I can barely keep up! She is a true inspiration and my role model.
Teri Rekoon
Newport Coast, California

I keep my dad in mind. He survived a stroke in 2001 and now has limited ability to move. Watching him recover motivated me to run a marathon in 2004 for the American Stroke Association, and every time I don’t feel like exercising, I remember that he can’t and I can. Also, keeping up this healthy lifestyle will help me prevent a stroke later in my life.
Cathy Rumfelt
Cumming, Georgia

My motivation to exercise is the simple fact that I want to set an example for my three children. They see me run, lift weights, and do cardio kickboxing. I can do more push-ups (real ones — on my toes, not my knees) than any other woman in the class. I don’t diet or own a scale. I don’t worry about how thin I am but how healthy and strong I am, and at 41 I’m stronger and healthier than I was two decades ago.
Amy Meyers
Summerville, South Carolina

Any time I try to come up with an excuse to skip exercising, I think of my grandmother, Theresia. She exercised well into her 80s, walking almost every day and averaging 10 to 15 miles a week, many times even more. She is a true inspiration and someone who has led life by example, showing what a healthy lifestyle can do for your heart, body, and soul.
Nancy Macken
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

I look to my three-year-old daughter for the motivation. Her energy inspires me, and I want to be a positive role model for her. I want to put myself in the position of being as mentally and physically healthy as possible so I can be around to see her grow into a woman and become a mother herself one day. This is my greatest wish, so I exercise (at least a little) every day.
Caryn Lane
Capitola, California

Clever Distractions

I feel more justified watching bad/trashy TV shows if I’m on the treadmill.
Jane Dickson
Astoria, New York

Audiobooks. I get a lot of “reading” done on my treadmill, and I find it easy to go the extra mile with a good book and a talented narrator.
Karyl-Lynne Tirk
King George, Virginia

I watch the Food Network while I’m on the treadmill. I love finding new recipes and learning different ways to cook. As long as I’m working out, I don’t feel as guilty about trying out some of the delicious foods that are featured.
Jean Sirois
Franklin, Massachusetts

If I get the right music going, I am either an athletic teenager from back in the 80s or a single, midriff-baring club-hopper from the 90s.Whether it is the Psychedelic Furs, the KLF, or Usher, it involves a beat that gets me moving to exercise.
Meghan Kinsey
Newburyport, Massachusetts

Attitude Adjustment

Exercise unsticks the wheels of my mental machinery. If I’m feeling down, I take my dog out for a long hike in the woods. If I’m feeling uncertain, I work out to earn a sense of accomplishment. If I’m feeling lonely, I grab a friend and go for a bike ride. Exercise has many physical benefits, but for me it’s really about being able to train my brain to get moving.
Pamela Pfiffner
Portland, Oregon

When I asked for a treadmill for Christmas a couple of years ago, I wasn’t prepared for the exercise bug to hit. My husband’s only request was “Don’t turn it into a laundry rack.” I didn’t. I began using the programs, and before I knew it, I started to lose weight and become obsessed. I continued to exercise even while pregnant with my second child, and I recovered from the pregnancy faster. I found the motivation in the way I felt, in the way I wanted to be a good example to my children, and in the fact that I found more confidence in myself.
Jennifer Petrosino
Ramsey, New Jersey