“I think it [quitting smoking] was the physical activity. It happens organically. By week five, we’re expected to set a date for quitting. I still smoked at the beginning but the time between running and having a cigarette got longer and longer. You feel good so you don’t think about having a cigarette, so that helped.”

- Kathryn V.

Via Breaking the Habit, One Step at a Time

“After the [Boston Marathon] bombing, I was struggling with extreme anxiety and running calmed me down. It made me feel functional instead of disabled. It changed my mind as much as my body...

No therapy in the world could have bolstered my self-esteem and self-confidence like finishing the marathon did. I still struggle with health problems. But I exercise almost every day, and I don’t see it as a chore. After what I’ve been through, keeping my body strong and fit feels like a privilege. I have learned the hard way that everything in our lives is a privilege."

- Lynn J-C.
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Via Health

"Being healthy and in good shape became of utmost importance to me. How I really changed was when I broke my foot. The first thought that crossed my mind was "how will I exercise?" An operation later, I found myself taking membership of a club only because of its swimming pool; 6 weeks of rehab later, I found my way back to weights and cardio. I became a 5k runner after that injury. When I was 38, I got pregnant. From a happy weight of 52 kg, I was up to 74 kg at the time of delivery. Six months later, I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I ran 2 half marathons.

It is now, in my 40s, that I am my strongest and fittest self. I have found a way of eating and exercising that I could sustain and live with. I exercise 5 times a week. But I like to mix it up. It's either 90 minutes gym time, or 1.25k of swimming, or a 10k run, or if I have no access to a gym, then just a 40-minute intense bodyweight workout. I have no trainer. I am extremely self motivated and design my workouts myself.

I start my every morning with utmost gratitude for the amazing work and opportunities that I get. Every day I try to be the best version of myself."

- Nona W.
Via Times of India