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At this time of year we’re inundated with fitness challenges and ‘miracle diets’. But these messages are largely about how you look and the number on a scale.

With Gym Buddies, we’re keen to look beyond aesthetics: How does working out make you feel? How does it impact your health? What does exercise help you achieve?

People workout for a whole host of reasons: cancer survivor Jackie Scully, who got married the morning of the London Marathon and ran in her wedding dress, started running to reclaim her body after her first chemotherapy treatment; our fitness writer Amy Packham is bravely taking up cycling again after she broke two of her fingers in a bike accident as a teenager (ouch!); and I find yoga helps to keep my stress and anxiety at bay.

So next time you work out, take a moment to reflect on how you feel afterwards. Because what keeps you going might not be what made you start in the first place.

WTF: What The Fitness?