In an attempt to better understand what motivates others, during the entire month of January, I randomly asked 100 active people in Ottawa what it was that helped motivate them to get up, get dressed, and get active on tough, lazy or busy days.

Here are the top ten things that came up over and over again:

10. Coffee or espresso before exercise. One women also said that she brings a cup of hot green tea with her to the gym to sip while she’s exercising.

9. A new exercise play list. Music is a powerful motivator and naturally makes people want to move their bodies. Spotting someone dancing on the Stairmaster isn’t so uncommon at most fitness facilities.

8. Photos of younger, thinner days up on the refrigerator. For one woman however, having a photo of her at her heaviest was the motivation to never be that way again.

7. Having sports gear out and ready to put on in the morning or in a prepared gym bag in the car to go directly after work.

6. Having something new, be it new runners, a new treadmill, or a new heart monitor. New gadgets are a temporary motivator and can break the boredom of your usual routine.

5. Feeling fat or bloated. Surprisingly, this was a frequent feeling that motivated people to go that extra mile. Eating too much or doing too little can be motivating enough to make you go hard at it.

4. Keeping a workout journal. Writing it down can keep you accountable for your activity, or lack thereof.

3. Reading about or watching others exercise. Be it in fitness magazines, or watching your partner do pushups on the kitchen floor, monkey see, means monkey do! People get pumped when they see someone else in action.

2. Training with someone. Be it a friend, a personal trainer or exercising in a group, working out with someone else is the #2 thing that motivates most.

1. Seeing results in the mirror. There is no better inspiration than working hard at something and seeing firsthand that it works. Clothes get baggy, people constantly complement how great you look. It’s a powerful thing!

So what motivates you to move? Finding out could mean the difference between achieving your goals…or not. We’d love to hear. Write to us at www.fit-anywhere.com