People Exercise For Health, Not Beauty

Gym addicts may not be the shallow narcissists we think they are. Most people—more than 54 percent of 2,882 polled by EveryDay Health and the American Council on Fitness—said their health was the reason they exercised, not a quest for the perfect beach bod, and they’re doing it for their loved ones. More than 90 percent of the participants were women with an average age of 44. Seventy-nine percent of the total respondents said they would still work out even if there were a magic pill to maintain a trim and fit physique. Only 15 percent said they’d become inactive couch potatoes. One researcher said she felt reassured that health was more important to exercise fanatics than appearance and weight control. She also suggested that people might be unwilling to give up exercising because it’s a great stress reliever.  [Reuters]