I remember watching Ice Castles as a kid and wanting nothing more than to be an ice skater. (Preferably without a terrible accident that caused blindness, though.) So maybe the movie is a bit cheesy and admitting that I had a little crush on Robby Benson certainly dates me as a child of the '70s, but it motivated me into trying something I'd never tried before. And that's exactly what a great sports movie can do.

FitSugar recently asked readers what their favorite motivational sports movies were... and they came up with a great list. Some of the picks are:

• Remember the Titans.
  
• Million Dollar Baby
• Miracle
• Rudy
  

Click over to FitSugar for the full list. A couple of my favorites that didn't make the list are Hoosiers and The Rookie. What other sports movies have inspired you?

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Finding time to work out is just one of the many daily hurdles we face in our quest to remain healthy. Another is finding the motivation. For some, this is just something they are able to muster up on a moment's notice. For others, it takes some sort of outside stimulus, be it a tangible goal (such as wanting to be a healthy role model for your kids) or something more abstract (like a song you listen to that amps you up). Whatever it is that stokes your inner fire, even if it seems stupid or foolish, do it.

For me, music works well, but movies are what really seem to keep me motivated. Maybe that's because I'm a filmmaker myself, or maybe it's just because I feel inspired by certain films. Whatever the case may be, the end result is that I become mentally prepared and excited to work out after watching the following four flicks:

Rocky. The soundtrack, the training sequence, and even the promotional tag line ("His Whole Life Was a Million to One Shot") are enough to make me want to run the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art ... starting from California.

Hoosiers. Such a great, great film. Even though it takes place in the 1950s in Indiana, it definitely brings me back to those grueling after-school practices with my high school basketball team. Stepping on the court and running a few games is easy after watching Coach Dale lead Jimmy Chitwood and their small-town Hickories to the state championship.

An Uzi at the Alamo. This film probably won't inspire anyone other than me, because it's a comedy that has absolutely nothing to do with fitness. But, since I'm the one who made the film, it serves as tangible proof of my hard work paying off in the end - something I am then able to apply to my efforts to make it to the gym. For my first film, and having made it on such a small budget, it's amazingly not half bad.

300. I can't think of any other film that features so many people in such great physical shape. If any of you guys out there are looking for a fitness role model, you have a full 300 to choose from in this movie. It's personally inspired me to try the Spartan 300 workout, which turned out to be a brutal assault on my body. Felt great.

Well, those are my four. What about you? Which movies really get you pumped up?

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