One of the key reasons you will be successful with your fitness program is when you have a clear reason why you need to be fit.  If you can identify your reason why you absolutely must exercise, eat right, and live a healthy lifestyle, then you will have a far greater chance for success, achieving your outcomes, and transforming your lifestyle.

So, we recently had our 2nd child.  I have such an awesome reason why I must be fit and live healthy and it’s this.  We have 2 small children.  I want to be around for many, many years to see them grow up, teach them everything I know, and be nothing but a positive role model for them so that they can have ultimate success in whatever they choose to do.  I have become even MORE motivated since having children because I know that I must be a tremendous role model for them in every phase of life, including health, fitness, and living an active lifestyle.

If you have kids, then I’m sure you probably feel the exact same way.

Let me be very clear about why this information is so compelling.  The reasons outlined here are really quite simple, but powerful reasons why you need to be fit.  So, if you’re a parent, these are the top reasons why you’ve got to get in shape and stay in shape from this day forward.

1. IT’S ACTUALLY NOT ABOUT YOU, it’s about them.  I have found that being in shape and living healthy, in some sense, really isn’t about you.  It’s about being healthy and living fit so that you are there for you’re loved ones, your family.  Think about it.  For me, I want to be as healthy as I can for as long as I can so that I can spend as much time as I possibly can with my family.  I want to live a healthy and very productive lifestyle, be in top shape and not be some “couch potato” that is overweight and out of shape.  As a Father, I want to live healthy and fit every single day for the best interest of my family.  Of course there are other reasons and goals as to why I want to live, look, and feel this way, but having a family, it’s so much more motivating and inspiring to live healthy and fit for the benefits of my family. Exercise and nutrition is something I call the best Ultra-Preventative Medicine (UPM) there is.
2. INCREASED LONGEVITY: I want to live a long life, period.  I’m pretty sure you do too.  I never used to think about this before, especially when I was younger.  But I want to live as long as I can and be in great shape as I get older. There’s 2 things you want to do as you age, 1-Preserve Muscle Mass (as this decreases with aging) and 2-Maintain or Improve your joint mobility (as this also decreases as you age).  All of your exercise and activity should be focused on these 2 goals.  Having kids later in life, I must do everything I can to take care of myself and live healthy for as long as I possibly can.  Now, when I think of living into my later years, I envision myself being in excellent shape and very active.  I’ll be exercising for as long as I physically can, without a doubt.  And eating well too. Remember, it’s a total lifestyle and I want to get the most out of it.  When you think about yourself later in life, how do you see yourself? Being active, living fit, and having lots of energy and enthusiasm are great benefits of exercise.  But the real benefits of exercise are preventing some of the most deadly and debilitating diseases there are: Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer.  Exercising can reduce the chances for each of these terrible diseases. Do I have your attention yet?  Again, it’s the UPM (Ultra-Preventative Medicine).
3. INCREASED VITALITY: I just mentioned energy.  Vitality is defined as having exuberant physical strength or mental vigor.  As we age, having increased (as opposed to decreased) vitality will be imperative. And being a parent, we certainly want to have vitality so that we can “keep up” with our children.  I’m thinking that you want to have energy and enthusiasm in everything you do. Vitality is an essential reason to exercise and be fit.  Again, I want this to continue for as long as possible and I know that by living a healthy lifestyle, I will have vitality for many years to come. Mental and physical energy for the rest of your life is definitely a common goal that all of us share and that is possible with exercise, nutrition, and the right mindset.
4. BE THE ULTIMATE ROLE MODEL:  The most powerful reason to be fit may possibly be to be a role model for your children.  I know I want them to look at me and be inspired and be proud of their Dad.  I want them to see how I live my life and model what I do.  Children model what they see.  If I live in top health, if I exercise regularly, and eat good nutritious foods, if I get excited about exercise and make it fun, if I look like I take care of my body and health, then my hope is they will do the same. Role modeling is so critically important for our kids, not only in exercise and fitness, but in just about everything, so think carefully about what you do now and how you live.  Being a positive role model for our kids is one of the most powerful reasons you may have to get yourself fit, whether you realize it or not.

So, be a Role Model for others, not just your kids.  When you are clear on your reasons why you want to be fit, you will make your chances for lifestyle transformation and peak health that much more likely for success.

Hope you have a great reason why you need to be fit.