
What Are The 5 Motivation Languages & How To Apply Them To Your Wellness Journey

Motivation is a recurring theme in life, as it acts as a driving force behind our actions. Oftentimes, motivation is most commonly discussed in conjunction with bigger life habits, like the motivation behind clocking in at work or putting in some time on the treadmill at the gym. But by definition, motivation is indicative of our needs, wants, desires, and even our urges. So, whether we realize it or not, the decision we made between kicks and heels for our outfit of the day today, the choice behind our early morning drink order, or what we decided to have for lunch -- these choices are also fueled by motivation.
In collaboration with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin MD, founder, and CEO of Gemma and author of Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness, Peloton recently unveiled five motivation languages we can apply to wellness. Inspired by Gary Chapman's love languages, motivation languages act as a way to help people tap into the things that drive them and ultimately move them to, well, move. And although the motivation languages denote one's approach to health and well-being, these languages transcend to encompass how we approach our lives as a whole as well. “Motivation is key not only when it comes to fitness routines, but also in daily decision making -- understanding our ‘why’ helps us feel connected to ourselves," Dr. Lakshmin tells xoNecole.
"The motivation languages offer a way for people to engage in deeper conversations with themselves and find out what will positively impact them as they approach fitness and wellness. Fueling our bodies and minds with things that we know will encourage and motivate us is how we can truly care for ourselves."
The motivation languages were crafted based on findings from a five-market research study conducted by Peloton. Through that research, they discovered that motivation was something 7 out of 10 survey respondents said made them feel like they could accomplish anything. Additionally, through those findings, Peloton learned that motivation looks different for different people. From there, with the help of Dr. Lakshmin, they founded the five foundational motivation languages:
- Having Fun
- Achieving Goals
- Building Community
- Positive Affirmations
- Tough Love
To learn more about motivation languages and how we can apply them to our wellness journeys this year and beyond, xoNecole chatted with Dr. Lakshmin and Peloton Instructor Matty Maggiacomo. Keep reading for more.
How to Identify Your Primary Motivation Language
Dr. Lakshmin believes that motivation language allows us to take back our power and bring self-care back into our own hands. But how do we learn which motivation language belongs to us? Similar to love languages, Dr. Lakshmin suggests identifying your primary motivation language by asking yourself questions about what you like and don't like as it relates to motivation and the descriptions for the motivation languages.
The 5 Motivation Languages, According to Peloton
Kevin Kozicki/Getty Images
1. Having Fun
According to Peloton, Having Fun is about enjoying yourself, relaxing, letting loose, and having a good time. Movement is more about how it makes you feel than how it makes you look, and you are motivated by ease and pleasure in your approach to fitness and wellness. As a mantra, Dr. Lakshmin says, "I'm the best version of myself when I am relaxed and carefree."
Maggiacomo notes that there are a plethora of Peloton workouts from various instructors to choose from that fit your motivation language. For Having Fun, he advises "Callie Gullickson for a dynamic strength class."
2. Achieving Goals
"Achieving Goals" means you experience motivation through performing your 'best,' reaching milestones, and meeting the performance goals you have for yourself. As a goal-oriented person, your mantra for this motivation language could be, "Nothing feels better to me than a job well done." And for a workout that speaks your motivation language, Maggiacomo tells xoNecole, "Camila Ramón has the best 15-minute en Español ride."
MoMo Productions/Getty Images
3. Building Community
As a motivation language, building community means exactly that - fostering a sense of community around your approach to wellness. Your motivation comes from connecting with others and inviting family and friends to make wellness and fitness a collaborative effort. A mantra for you might be: "I feel my best when I'm connected to others who are working toward similar goals."
"If Building Community is your vibe, Ben Alldis brings everyone together with his 30-minute classic rock rides," Maggiacomo reveals.
4. Positive Affirmations
It should come as no surprise, but if your motivation language is positive affirmations, it means that your motivation thrives when you are positively affirmed. Encouragement, positivity, and kindness go a long way for you, when it comes from others but also when it comes from within. Dr. Lakshmin's mantra for you is, "I am worthy of showing up for myself."
Maggiacomo adds, "I am a big believer of Positive Affirmations, so if that speaks to your language you can either try a 60-minute Gospel Walk with Kirsten Ferguson or a 30-minute Pop Run with me."
Cavan Images/Getty Images
5. Tough Love
If you resonate most with tough love as your motivation language, this means that you are motivated by structure and have a no-BS approach to wellness and fitness. Hard work is not a deterrent, it's a motivator. In fact, "regimen" is your middle name. A mantra for you would be, "Hard work pays off in the long run." Maggiacomo's Peloton class pick for Tough Love? The fitness instructor recommends the 30-minute Tabata ride offered by fellow instructor Olivia Amato.
Check out the Peloton App for more classes to choose from and find out more about Motivation Language on Peloton’s Pinterest page.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Jordi Salas/Getty Images
Claudia Jordan, Demetria McKinney & Jill Marie Jones On 'Games Women Play' & Dating Over 40
What do you get when you mix unfiltered truths, high-stakes romance, and a few well-timed one-liners? You get Games Women Play—the sizzling new stage play by Je’Caryous Johnson that’s part relationship rollercoaster, part grown-woman group chat.
With a powerhouse cast that includes Claudia Jordan, Demetria McKinney, Jill Marie Jones, Carl Payne, Chico Bean, and Brian J. White, the play dives headfirst into the messy, hilarious, and heart-wrenching games people play for love, power, and peace of mind. And the women leading this story? They’re bringing their whole selves to the stage—and leaving nothing behind.
From Script to Spotlight
The road to Games Women Play started over 20 years ago—literally.
“This script was written 20 years ago,” Jill Marie Jones said with a smile. “It was originally called Men, Money & Gold Diggers, and I was in the film version. So when Je’Caryous called me to bring it to the stage, I was like, ‘Let’s go.’” Now reimagined for 2025, the play is updated with sharp dialogue and modern relationship dynamics that feel all too real.
Demetria McKinney, no stranger to Je’Caryous Johnson’s productions, jumped at the opportunity to join the cast once again. “This is my third time working with him,” she shared. “It was an opportunity to stretch. I’d never been directed by Carl Payne before, and the chance to work with talent I admire—Jill, Claudia, Chico—it was a no-brainer.”
Claudia Jordan joked that she originally saw the role as just another check. “I didn’t take it that seriously at first,” she admitted. “But this is my first full-on tour—and now I’ve got a whole new respect for how hard people work in theater. This ain’t easy.”
Modern Love, Stage Left
The play doesn’t hold back when it comes to the messier parts of love. One jaw-dropping moment comes when a live podcast proposal flips into a prenup bombshell—leaving the audience (and the characters) gasping.
Demetria broke it down with honesty. “People don’t ask the real questions when they date. Like, ‘Do you want kids? How do you feel about money?’ These convos aren’t happening, and then everyone’s confused. That moment in the play—it’s real. That happens all the time.”
Jill chimed in, noting how the play speaks to emotional disconnect. “We’re giving each other different tokens of love. Men might offer security and money. Women, we’re giving our hearts. But there’s a disconnect—and that’s where things fall apart.”
And then Claudia, of course, took it all the way there. “These men don’t even want to sign our prenups now!” she laughed. “They want to live the soft life, too. Wearing units, gloss, getting their brows done. We can’t have nothing! Y’all want to be like us? Then get a damn period and go through menopause.”
Dating Over 40: “You Better Come Correct”
When the conversation turned to real-life relationships, all three women lit up. Their experiences dating in their 40s and 50s have given them both clarity—and zero tolerance for games.
“I feel sexier than I’ve ever felt,” said Jill, who proudly turned 50 in January. “I say what I want. I mean what I say. I’m inside my woman, and I’m not apologizing for it.”
Demetria added that dating now comes with deeper self-awareness. “Anybody in my life is there because I want them there. I’ve worked hard to need nobody. But I’m open to love—as long as you keep doing what got me there in the first place.”
For Claudia, the bar is high—and the peace is priceless. “I’ve worked hard for my peace,” she said. “I’m not dating for food. I’m dating because I want to spend time with you. And honestly, if being with you isn’t better than being alone with my candles and fountains and cats? Then no thanks.”
Channeling Strength & Icon Status
Each actress brings something different to the play—but all of them deliver.
“I actually wish I could be messier on stage,” Claudia joked. “But I think about my grandmother—she was born in 1929, couldn’t even vote or buy a house without a man, and didn’t give a damn. She was fearless. That’s where my strength comes from.”
For Jill, the comparisons to her iconic Girlfriends character Toni Childs aren’t far off—but this role gave her a chance to dig deeper. “If you really understood Toni, you’d see how layered she was. And Paisley is the same—misunderstood, but strong. There’s more to her than people see at first glance.”
Demetria, who juggles singing and acting seamlessly, shared that live theater pushes her in a new way. “Every moment on stage counts. You can’t redo anything. It’s a different kind of love and discipline. You have to give the performance away—live, in the moment—and trust that it lands.”
Laughter, Lessons & Black Girl Gems
The show has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments—and the cast isn’t shy about who steals scenes.
“Chico Bean gets a lot of gasps and laughs,” Claudia said. “And Naomi Booker? Every scene she’s in—she’s hilarious.”
But the play isn’t just about humor. It leaves space for reflection—especially for Black women.
“I hope we get back to the foundation of love and communication,” said Demetria. “A lot of us are in protector mode. But that’s turned into survival mode. We’ve lost softness. We’ve lost connection.”
Claudia agreed. “We’re doing it all—but it’s not because we want to be strong all the time. It’s because we have to be. And I just want women to know: You can have peace, you can be soft. But stop bringing your old pain into new love. Don’t let past heartbreak build walls so high that the right person can’t climb over.”
Final Act: Pack the House
If there’s one thing this cast agrees on, it’s that this play isn’t just entertainment—it’s necessary.
“Atlanta is the Black entertainment hub,” Claudia said. “We need y’all to show up for this play. Support the arts. Support each other. Because when we pack the house, we make space for more stories like this.”
Games Women Play is more than a play—it’s a mirror. You’ll see yourself, your friends, your exes, and maybe even your next chapter. So get ready to laugh, reflect, and maybe even heal—because the games are on.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy
Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Relationship Timeline
Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathe are one of our favorite Hollywood couples. We can't get over their adorable moments together on the red carpet and on social media. While they're both from St. Louis, they didn't meet until college, which they both attended Stanford. And the rest is as they say, history. Read below as we dive into their decades-long relationship.
Mid to Late1990s: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Meet
Sterling and Ryan met as freshmen at Stanford University. "We were in the same dorm freshman year...that's kind of how we met," Ryan said in an interview with ET. "I was mesmerized," she said after watching him audition for the school play, Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Sterling revealed that The First Wives Club star was dating someone else, so they started off as friends.
"She got cast in the play as well, and we would ride bikes to rehearsal, and we would just talk. We found out that we were both from St. Louis. We didn't know that we were both from St. Louis, like, our parents went to rival high schools. We were born in the same hospital. Like, we were friends," he said.
The first few years of their relationship involved many breakups and makeups. However, they ended up graduating and attended NYU's Tisch Grad Acting Program together.
Early 2000s: Sterling K. Brown Tells Ryan Michelle Bathe She's 'The Love Of My Life'
The Paradise star opened up about telling Ryan that she was the one. "We broke up for three and a half years before we came back into each other's lives," he said. "She was on the treadmill working out, and I had this epiphany, 'I have to go tell this woman she's the love of my life.'"
"I go to her apartment, I tell her, and she's like, 'Well, I'm working out right now,' and I was like, 'No, I can see that—I'll just talk to you while you're on the treadmill,' and she's like, 'Well, I feel like going outside. So I'm gonna go on a run,'" he continued. "So I'm like dressed [in a suit], and she starts running through Koreatown, and I start running along with her. Brother had to work, but it was well worthwhile."
2006: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Tie The Knot
The St. Louis natives eloped in 2006 and a year later held a larger ceremony. According to the bride, the best part of their wedding was the food. "The best thing about it was the food," she told ET.
"Can I just say, sometimes you go to weddings, and you get the winner-winner chicken dinner and you're like, 'I pay. OK, it's fine.' But I wanted people to remember their experience -- their culinary experience. So I was happy about that. The food was good."
2011: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Welcome Their First Child
In 2011, Sterling and The Endgame actress welcomed their first son, Andrew. In a 2017 tweet, Sterling revealed they had a home birth. "An unexpected home delivery is something my wife and I went through ourselves with our first born, so this was round 2 for me!" he wrote while referring to a scene involving his character Randall, in This Is Us.
2012: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Appear On-screen Together
A year later, the couple acted together on the Lifetime series Army Wives.
2015: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Welcome Their Second Child
In 2015, Sterling and Ryan welcomed another son, Amaré. Sterling shared an Instagram post about their latest addition to the family. "1st post. 2nd child. All good! #imoninstagram," the Atlas star wrote.
2016: Ryan Michelle Bathe Joins Sterling K. Brown On 'This Is Us'
Ryan guest appears on her hubby's show, This Is Us.
Sterling K. Brown Reveals Ryan Michelle Bathe's Mother Didn't Like Him At First
During their sit-down interview for the Black Love series, Sterling revealed that Ryan's mother wasn't a fan of him, which caused friction in their relationship.
2024: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Explain How Jennifer Lopez Once Broke Them Up
While visiting The Jennifer Hudson Show, Sterling and Ryan share their hilarious Jennifer Lopez break-up story. "We had just gone out, we were living in New York City, we were in grad school, and we had gone to see a Broadway play and we came back to my place and my roommate was playing the ["Love Don't Cost A Thing"] video on MTV," Sterling said.
"Now I'm a fan of Jennifer Lopez's dancing, and I was watching the video and I knew my young...21, 22-year-old girlfriend was looking at me watch the video. And I know I'm not supposed to have a reaction. In trying NOT to have a reaction, what had happened was, my eyes began to water."
Ryan jumped in, "Otherwise known as, TEARS! I turn around and my boyfriend is weeping, tears like big fat [tears]. And I'm looking and she's just a shakin' and a shimming, and he's just crying. I said 'Oh no, I got to go.' "
2024: Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathe Launch Their Podcast, We Don't Always Agree
The couple launched their podcast, We Don't Always Agree, where they disclose more intimate details about their love story.
Feature image by Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock