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TEL AVIV — Vanity trumps health when it comes to why people start exercising. This surprising finding emerged when Tel Aviv University researchers took an unconventional approach to studying fitness motivation: they analyzed unfiltered Reddit conversations instead of using traditional surveys. Their data revealed physical appearance was the top motivation (24% of comments), with physical health (19%) and mental health (17%) trailing behind.

When it comes to sticking with exercise, building consistent habits proved most crucial, with Redditors emphasizing that discipline matters far more than fleeting motivation.

‘In reality, they want six-pack abs’

The study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, offers a rare glimpse into what people say about exercise when they’re speaking freely, not responding to researcher-designed questions. Researchers Michal Shmueli-Scheuer, Yedidya Silverman, Israel Halperin, and Yftach Gepner analyzed 1,577 unique comments from fitness-focused and general advice Reddit communities to uncover these patterns.

Despite mountains of evidence supporting the benefits of exercise, more than 80% of adolescents and 27% of adults worldwide fail to meet the World Health Organization’s minimum activity guidelines. This persistent gap between knowing exercise is good and actually doing it drives researchers to better understand what truly gets people moving.

Traditional research on exercise motivation typically relies on questionnaires and structured interviews. While these approaches yield valuable data, they come with blind spots. Study participants represent a self-selected group — people already interested enough in exercise to volunteer for research. Scientists call this “volunteer bias,” meaning participants often differ from the general population in key ways.

Questionnaires can also subtly influence responses. The phrasing might confuse participants or nudge them toward certain answers. People may give what they think are socially acceptable answers or try to guess what researchers want to hear, a phenomenon known as “demand characteristics.”

“Our findings are not based on self-reporting, a representative sample, a questionnaire, or a survey. This is, in plain terms, the real reason why people exercise. And the answer is that people mainly exercise to look good,” explains Prof. Gepner in a statement. “In questionnaires, people claim they want to be healthy, but in reality, they want six-pack abs. These findings are important because they teach us how to address the public, how to persuade people to get off the couch, promote health, and prevent disease.”

When it comes to exercise, some need than motivation

By turning to Reddit, the Tel Aviv team gained access to conversations happening naturally, without research prompts. Reddit’s anonymity likely encourages more candid sharing, as users don’t worry about judgment from people who know them personally.

They analyzed comments from six different subreddits: r/bodyweightfitness, r/crossfit, r/Fitness, r/askMen, r/askWomen, and r/askReddit. Using natural language processing, they categorized discussions into two main themes: reasons for starting exercise and tactics for maintaining exercise routines.

Beyond the top three motivational factors (appearance, physical health, and mental health), the analysis revealed seven key strategies people use to stick with exercise. Habit formation dominated at 30%, followed by goal setting (14%), choosing enjoyable activities (12%), socializing (10%), using media like music or videos (9%), tracking with apps (2.8%), and financial commitment (2.5%).

Many Reddit users emphasized that motivation alone isn’t enough. As one commenter bluntly put it: “Motivation depends on emotions which are unstable. Discipline is the ability to maintain a habit even when the motivation isn’t there.”

For goal setting, commenters stressed concrete targets: “You really have to want it. If you don’t care to change or don’t have any numerical goals, you won’t last. Set some goals and really strive to meet them.”

Finding activities you genuinely enjoy was another major theme. “I hate going on runs or going to lift weights at the gym. I can’t get motivated to do that,” wrote one user. “But if I take a spin class or kickboxing or muscle endurance class I love it. It’s all about finding something you like.”

The COVID-19 pandemic shifted these priorities notably. Comparing pre-pandemic and pandemic-era comments showed physical appearance became less important (dropping from 26% to 19%), while physical and mental health grew more significant (rising from 17% to 25% and 15% to 24%, respectively). This reflects how the global health crisis reshaped priorities.

Wise redditor advice: ‘Do something fun for exercise’

The researchers also tracked which topics appeared together most frequently. Physical and mental health often showed up in the same comments, as did app monitoring and goal setting. This suggests people typically have multiple reasons for exercising and use several strategies simultaneously to stay consistent.

The team went beyond counting mentions by analyzing which topics received the most positive reception through Reddit’s upvoting system. Habit formation, physical appearance, and financial commitment weren’t just frequently discussed, they were highly valued by the community. For trainers or fitness club management, strategies emphasizing consistent habits, concrete goals, and finding genuinely enjoyable activities might prove more effective for clients than those focused mainly on health benefits.

The study also showcases social media’s potential as a research tool. Though traditional methods remain important, analyzing social media conversations captures more natural perspectives. As people increasingly share their experiences online, these platforms offer rich insights into human behavior.

In a world where sedentary lifestyles keep expanding, understanding what truly drives people to exercise becomes increasingly vital.

“It’s an astonishing phenomenon: science tells us that if we put just over two hours a week into physical activity, we can prevent 30% of diseases, improve our quality of life, and extend our lifespan; and yet, less than a quarter of the population actually does this. Why? What have we failed to see?” asks Gepner. “While we all wish our loved one’s good health on their birthday, a wish of ‘good workouts’ is quite rare… But there is a way to be healthy – by exercising. That’s why it’s crucial to understand what really motivates people to engage in physical activity and what helps them stick with it.”

The bottom line? The most effective exercise routine isn’t necessarily the scientifically optimal one — it’s the one you’ll actually do consistently. As one Redditor summed it up: “Do something fun for exercise. For example, I love basketball so I play basketball as an exercise but I still enjoy it and it doesn’t even seem like work.”