Stay Driven

says she exercises for the sake of her mental health. “I have three little kids. On any given day, I have a tenuous grip on sanity—running regularly helps me keep it.” For many women like Mathews, maintaining mental fitness is as powerful a motivator for staying active as being physically fit. Women are twice as likely to experience depression as men are, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and several studies report that physically active people feel less anxiety and depression than sedentary individuals. Research points to a possible physiological explanation for this, mainly that exercise may help your body deal with stress more effectively by increasing brain chemicals that help control stress, anxiety and depression, reports the American Psychological Association.

Whatever the reason, the exercise-happiness connection creates lifelong devotees. And with busy lives packed with work and family responsibilities, women say the mood-boosting, stress-reducing effect has much to do with the break exercise gives them from the daily grind. Workouts are time away to do something just for themselves. Los Angeles-based pro triathlete Wendy Ingraham, 43, calls her regular morning run a “45-minute vacation.”

Lasting Friendships

Time alone is important. But spending time with others while exercising is probably a stronger motivator for women. Those who regularly work out with friends, or join classes or training groups are much more likely to make exercise a lifelong commitment. By “creating social networks,” women add “an extra level of motivation on top of any other that they have,” Segar explains. New Orleans nurse Jenn Clement, 32, calls working out “the base of my social life. Some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever known and my closest friends, including my husband, I’ve met through training.”

Whenever Mathews runs with her girlfriends, she says she benefits from both mental healing and social interaction. “It’s time to connect. We share thoughts, fears, ideas, joys, sorrows. It’s kind of like mobile therapy.”

From Exercising to Training

Sheri Villani, 38, an office manager from Kenosha, Wisconsin, initially started participating in triathlons to lose weight. Four years later and thirty pounds thinner, she says she continues to work out because she “absolutely loves training and competing in triathlons.”

The competitive fire fuels the active lifestyles of many women, and experts say setting event goals is a strong lifelong motivator for staying fit. Sport psychologist, Jenny Susser, Ph.D., of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City believes competition “brings meaning to every workout. It provides an excellent format for goal setting, which is an invaluable motivational tool.”

Preparing for events motivates women in a number of ways, including the satisfaction of accomplishing specific goals and of seeing progress (achieving faster PRs or completing longer races), the structure and sense of purpose that following a training schedule adds to daily workouts, and the camaraderie and encouragement of training partners and team members.

But Segar notes that not everyone has the same level of competitive drive, and women need to “individualize their motivation” by making sure their goals are realistic and don’t discourage more than they encourage an active lifestyle. “Not every athlete competes to win,” says Segar. For some women “simply entering an event can be as powerful a motivator as an Olympic competition,” adds Susser.

But, if competition is one of the main motives for physical activity, what happens when time eventually erodes performance gains? Many women adapt by accepting slower PRs, but still enjoy seeing how hard they can push themselves. For some, however, fading PRs, nagging injuries or diminished interest may force a major restructuring of their outlook toward physical activity.

“It’s quite common for athletes to drop out of regular exercise when the competitive fires go out,” notes Moore. To stay healthy and active for as long as possible, athletes driven primarily by performance gains or competitive desires eventually need to focus on the other things they value about being physically active.

“One must dig deeper to find a more lasting and meaningful purpose for taking good care of physical fitness and well-being,” says Moore.

By Frank Claps, M. Ed., C.S.C.S. for Her Sports + Fitness