This is a great topic to discuss. Though, physical training is what I love to do and have been doing for years, I feel that I'm not partial to the spirit of the article, which is to achieve a goal.

I started training in 2008 with a goal in mind, and that was to burn fat and get in shape. After accomplishing that goal, my training continued but this time the goal was to maintain my shape. I did fall off the wagon in between and gained fat again, then burned it off, gained it back and burned it off again. At times, a weight gain was due to losing control of my diet. Other times, it depended on what goal I had in mind.

Fast-forward to 2018. My purpose for training has evolved. I no longer train with a goal in mind. I train simply because it feels good, it's fun and to maintain my strength. But, most importantly, I see training (weight-lifting and cardio) as a way of life for some of the reasons you mentioned. I'm not stopping unless I either get bored with it (unlikely) or if I'm physically incapable of training. I will continue no matter how old I am. It just so happens that I get physical results along the way.