Here’s What Inspires Americans To Get In Shape For The Summer (Video)

Seven in 10 Americans are trying to kick their healthy lifestyle into high gear and are currently working towards a summer fitness goal, according to new research.

A study of 2,000 people examined people’s motivations for revamping their way of life and how they’re making healthy tweaks.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Smoothie King, showed that even in the age of Instagram, the number one goal of people opting into the wellness lifestyle was to better their overall health and feel good about themselves, rather than pursue image-led benefits or more vanity-driven aspirations.

Other prompts that led to people making fit decisions included: wanting to lose weight (54 percent), preparing for an upcoming event (30 percent) and increasing confidence (43 percent).

Americans were 126 times more likely to incorporate good choices into their routines to stay on track than massively overhaul their lifestyles.

Three in five decided to get a few more steps in and walk more while some did their best to steer clear of sugary foods (54 percent), office snacks (33 percent), fried foods (51 percent) and alcohol (41 percent) – well, as much as their willpower allowed them to.

“Regardless of your wellness journey, summer is a time when people want to look and feel their best,” said Smoothie King CEO Wan Kim. “Making healthy choices, like replacing a fast food lunch with our new Slim-N-Trim Veggie meal smoothie that includes two full servings of fruits and vegetables, is a delicious way to reach your summer goals.”

And if ever a moment of weakness does occur, the study also identified the most common motivational boosts that allow people to stay committed to their health and wellness goals.

The results revealed that receiving a compliment (59 percent), wearing a favorite outfit (48 percent), making a healthy choice (53 percent) or wrapping up a workout (44 percent) all topped a list of confidence boosters that enabled people to feel good about their progress.

For those trying to live a healthy lifestyle, one in four have made the start of summer their deadline to hit their personal goals.

Victory will surely be sweet and they’ll be able to celebrate with the activities that got them on a path to wellness in the first place.

Over half of those surveyed are looking forward to spending time outside, hanging out with their family, taking leisurely walks in the warm weather and enjoying a long-awaited vacation.

Kim added, “Change happens one choice at a time, and small tweaks to our eating can make a big impact. At Smoothie King, we offer Clean Blends that feature better ingredients to help our guests live their best lives.”

1. Want to lose weight                     53%

2. I wanted to do something for me 45%

3. Health problems                          45%

4. Gain confidence                          43%

5. Upcoming event                          30%

1. Receiving a nice compliment          59%

2. Making a healthy choice                 53%

3. Wearing an outfit I like                    48%

4. Finishing a workout                        44%

5. Singing in the car                           25%

1. Walking more                    63%

2. Avoid sugary foods           54%

3. Avoid fried foods               51%

4. Taking the stairs               46%

5. Drink less alcohol             41%

6. Avoid office snacks          33%

7. Bring lunch to work          33%

8. Drink smoothies               31%

1. Avoid sugar              47%

2. Work out                   43%

3. Eat vegetables          33%

4. Avoid work snacks    29%

5. Eat fruits                   28%

6. Avoid alcohol            27%

7. Avoid smoking          26%

1. Spending time outside                 56%

2. Spending time with family            55%

3. Taking leisurely walks outside     51%

4. Taking vacation                           50%

5. Going to the beach                     49%

6, Going to the park                        47%

7. Going to the pool                        43%

8. Having a picnic                           42%