' “Why do we do this [long distance cycling] to ourselves?” I really didn’t know then, but I know now: We don't do it to ourselves. We do it for ourselves. To prove that we can keep going. Every damn time, in moments big and small, we can.'

- Molly R.

Via The Only Thing That’ll Keep You Going When Your Body Gives Out

“I look forward to doing it  [dance] because I get a lot of benefit out of it.”

- Bob

"For as long as I can remember, sports have been the one true love of my life. But for the last 14 years, I’ve struggled with chronic knee pain that has kept me from playing hard on the field, and at times, from playing at all. Staying active (to whatever level I could) kept me sane on my worst days, and continues to keep me calm, focused, and steady as I work my way through graduate school. The routine of exercise, the push of physical exertion, and the social bonds of a team keep me mentally strong, allowing me to fight whatever physical pain may come my way."

- Carly W.
Athens, Georgia USA

Via UGA Exercise is Medicine Club

"I exercise about five times a week because it's something I've always done and I just enjoy it. I try to play the age card with my trainer but she just doesn't go for it. My farewell tour was one of the longest tours ever, and I think it would be a tour that would kill a 25-year-old girl now."

- Cher, 71
Via Health

“You don’t have to start off perfect, you just have to start.”

“Getting out and being active every day not only improves my mood, but I also feel like the best version of myself when my blood is pumping and endorphins are flowing. Taking the Exercise is Medicine class as a freshman at UGA allowed me to see that being active is so much more than something that improves my mood. Being active is crucial to the life I want to lead and I hope to encourage others to develop active lifestyles to receive those benefits as well. I also love the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a hard workout, or even a half marathon. The picture above was taken right after I finished my first half last year and the sense of accomplishment from that was indescribable. I’m looking forward to running my second AthHalf in a couple of weeks!”

- Katie L.
Athens, Georgia USA

Via UGA Exercise is Medicine Club

"[Exercise] is the best thing I’ve done for my own personal life. I have rheumatoid arthritis and you  just have to keep moving. I take tai chi, line dancing, use the exercise bikes and [do] strength and stretching [exercises]…the whole works.”

- Judy G.

“I have loved all forms of movement since I can remember. Whether it’s a sport, exercise, or physical activity of any kind (even just deep cleaning my apartment), I love it. It’s hard for me to shorten Why I Move into a concise blurb, both because I am so passionate about this topic and because I use way too many words in general, but I guess in short, I move for three general reasons other than just because I love to:

1. I move for my health, and by health I mean my mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Mentally, exercise keeps me sane. Physically, (apart from the thousands of physical benefits I REALLY want to list but there’s not enough space), I love to challenge my body to be better. Emotionally, exercise allows me to release any emotions (and I have a lot of them) or stress so that I can simply relax and be happy.

2. I move for those who can’t. Being able to lift weights, do push ups, dance, jump, run, walk, even the ability to stand, these abilities aren’t guaranteed for everyone. And because I’ve been blessed with the ability to do so, I will move until I can’t any longer.

3. I move now so that I can move later. One of those many physical benefits that I wanted to list in my first point is that exercise allows you to better maintain physical function as you age. I want to be able to move for a long time, and because I hope to be a Physician’s Assistant, I want to be able to personally attest to the benefits of exercise and physical activity as I encourage my patients (and anyone else who will listen to me) to do so. So, I move now so that I can continue to be active as I age.

That’s as concise as I could make it, but there are thousands of reasons to be active, just take your pick and get moving!”

- Grace H.
Athens, Georgia USA

Via UGA Exercise is Medicine Club

"My friends started taking me to our local mall on Tuesday mornings for pole walking.  It was a challenging, but wonderful experience. I was able to connect with people, who were experiencing the same struggles and successes as I was. When I commented that I was “pretty tippy” and another person said “ We’re all pretty tippy here” I didn’t feel so alone. I had never met other people who had survived a stroke before and it was wonderful to talk to them over coffee, get tips and talk about shared experiences.

The first day of pole walking was really hard. I couldn’t get my poles and my feet to work together. I certainly couldn’t walk & talk!

However, as the Tuesday mornings went by, I was able to go longer distances and soon discovered that I could pole walk while talking. I was improving my both motor skills and endurance, as well as having a social experience with other stoke survivors and my friends."

- Carol A.
Orillia, Ontario Canada