"Once I became healthier [after disordered eating], I dove back into dance, an exercise I truly love. I attended Zumba classes with an old roommate and didn't try to figure out the calories I burned. I started taking dance technique classes with a dance group on campus, in which I learned how to do jumps, turns, and leaps I'd always wanted to do but never learned how to growing up. I realised how cool it is and how privileged I am that my body can (or at least attempt to) do so many fancy, impressive dance moves. My exercise was far from about punishment at this point: my exercise turned into learning choreography and feeling proud of myself when I improved. I even became one of the winners of the technique award due to my commitment and improvement."

- Ashley B. 

From ​I Exercise to Celebrate My Body Instead of Punishing It, and I'm Much Happier For It

"After I climbed a few times, I had a revolutionary realization: I didn’t hate it. It was different from any exercise I’d tried before, full of static motion and mental puzzles. I finished each session drenched in sweat, but it was a sweat that I had worked for, a sweat during which I had actually done things. It felt so much better than just running aimlessly. Simply getting to the top of the rock wall doesn’t sound all that amazing, and it wasn’t really. It was just something different, and something that has truly changed the way I feel about my body and my physical fitness."

- Katie N.

From ​How I learned that exercise can (and should) be enjoyable

“It puts me in a good mood, a good frame of mind for the day. No matter how my day goes, I always feel good about starting in the gym. I feel strong. I feel healthy. Mentally, I feel good.”

- Brian B.

​From ​Finding joy in working out
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"Getting on my mat everyday allows me to relieve some stress, stay limber, and to have a sense of accomplishment after an especially challenging practice. I've never participated in sports, so movement was not a big part of my life growing up. That all changed after I took my first yoga class 4 years ago. I immediately fell in love with yoga and started to branch out to other forms of exercise. The following semester, I changed my major to exercise science and decided to devote my career to promoting movement. I currently teach multiple group fitness classes a week and am so happy I get to share the magic of moving with others!"

- Lauren R.
Athens, Georgia USA

Via UGA Exercise is Medicine Club

"For the zillionth time, I confronted my reality: Spin was something I'd never done. Being good at this was going to take time. Just because I wasn't perfect off the bat didn't mean that I couldn't be great. It didn't mean that I didn't have potential. It didn't mean I wasn't working hard...

One day, everything clicked. My demo ride, where you invite a bunch of good friends to hit the saddle and squad up for a little practice ride, was the next day. I set up in the studio by myself and ran through my entire playlist. By the fifth song, no mess-ups, no frustration, just this feeling of accomplishment. And the next day, in front of 24 close friends, I did it. I lead my first class, nearly bursting into tears the second the final song came to a close. Surrounded with love, I'd done something I wondered if I was even capable of doing in the first place. And the best part? I did it well."

- Emily A.
Via Becoming a Spin Instructor Taught Me to Love Myself
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"It's about hard work. When it's not fun, you do what you need to do anyway. Because when you achieve results, it's incredibly fun. You get to enjoy the 'Aha' at the end, and that is what drags you along a lot of the way."

- Mads R.
Via Grit

"A question I have often been asked is, 'Why did you become a goalie?'  That is a fantastic question.   'Why do you want pucks coming at you at 70 mph?' 'Why would you become a goalie after you have played defense for so long?' I usually laugh it off and say, 'I don’t know, it’s fun' with a smirk on my face.  It does not make a ton of sense.  The only genuine answer to these questions is that I enjoy it.  I wanted to follow my passion.  Sports are a unique opportunity to live in the moment and to enjoy what God has given you.  I have also been asked why I have persevered through some rough seasons of hockey.  I have been motivated every day to get better. Hockey is the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done. There is a unique excitement about goaltending.  Each shot, I get an opportunity to forget the goals I have let up in the past and I get a new chance at success.  I love to play.  I love to compete.  I love to win.  I am blessed to have the opportunity to use my God given talents and passions to glorify Him.

- Dylan W.
Highlands Ranch, Colorado USA

“Quitting smoking cleaned out my lungs and made running easier. Now, I love running and the way it makes me feel.”

- Chelsea G.
Whitby, Ontario Canada
Via Run to Quit

“First it was learning how to be in a wheelchair, then how to walk with a walker, then ski poles, then a cane. Every one of those obstacles is like a climbing problem. You have to learn how to do the moves, where to put the gear, and methodically think about it. If it’s a challenging route, it takes time. You don’t just get it on your first try. When you do get it, you ask ‘what’s next?’

If I could hike up the back of Ha Ling peak with a cane, stand on top and feel that wind on my face, that would be a win. That would be my greatest accomplishment.”

- Ryan T.
Canmore, Alberta Canada

Read more about Ryan's recovery after his climbing accident and his determination to walk.

“If I have a bad day at school it always makes me feel better. Also, we’ve got a really nice group of girls and boys and the coaches are really supportive, too, so I always feel better after being with them. I get a real sense of achievement when I learn new moves or if I’m coaching and I help a younger person learn something. It’s helped a lot with my confidence – I used to be nervous because I thought everyone knew what they were doing and what was happening but now I’m much more confident and happy in myself."

- Cerys, 15
Via Refinery 29