Plenty of anime feature characters that push their bodies and perform feats of incredible strength and endurance. This doesn't necessarily inspire viewers to become strong enough to move mountains or fast enough to outrun a cheetah, but at least to go for a run around the block when they may not feel like it.
Oftentimes, it's not so much what characters are able to achieve but their determination to reach a goal or realize their dream that is encouraging and inspirational. While a story about becoming stronger physically and actually putting that into practice in real life are two very different things, stories and characters in anime can help fans because they can relate to such characters.
10 Ultimate Muscle Is An Outrageous Anime About Intergalactic Wrestlers
Ultimate Muscle follows Kid Muscle, the son of renowned superhero wrestler King Muscle, as well as other intergalactic wrestlers. The show aired between 2002 and 2003, around the time when wrestling was at the peak of its popularity.
Ultimate Muscle is replete with over-the-top, outrageous moves. For example, super-powered farts and a wrestler who can turn into a shoe, but while it's mainly comedic in tone, it can still provide inspiration to get in shape and have fun doing it.
9 Dragon Ball Has Characters Pushing Their Bodies To Their Limits
Dragon Ball is all about becoming as strong as possible. It's only by pushing his body to the limit that Goku will be able to protect the earth. His abilities didn't just fall into his lap though, he had to train hard and long to learn and achieve mastery over them.
Watching Goku's and other characters' feats of supernatural strength is sure to have inspired countless kids and probably a fair amount of adults to take up martial arts and become stronger.
8 Haikyuu Is About Being Part Of A Team
Although Haikyuu is about volleyball, its themes are universal: trying to emulate a person one admires, working as a team instead of as an individual, and overcoming doubt. In this case, protagonist Shoyo Hinata wants to become as strong and fast as Tobio Kageyama, also known as "Little Giant."
It isn't necessary to be a volleyball fan to enjoy Haikyuu and be encouraged to exercise more. Seeing how dedicated Hinata and his friends are to being a better team can inspire anyone, not just those who play team sports.
7 Baki Can Have Fans Dusting Off The Weights
The utterly brutal shonen anime Baki is all about fighting, with various martial arts on show. Full of bulging biceps, rock-hard abs, and gladiatorial pecs, the show is sure to be a motivator for building up muscle.
Main character Baki Hanma faces off against five incredibly strong Deathrow escapees from around the world. As the show goes on, the fights become more and more ridiculous, and the amount of gore throughout means it's not for the fainthearted.
6 Ace Of Diamond Can Encourage Viewers To Keep Their Head In The Game
Ace of Diamond follows Eijun Sawamura as he tries to become the "ace" of his high school baseball team. With 75 episodes, viewers get to see plenty of ups and downs along Eijun's journey to his goal as he competes against not only other teams but members of his own.
The show does a great job of building up tension and suspense, and the baseball scenes are very well-animated. Watching Eijun trying to be the best he can be can inspire anyone to do the same, both in sport and life.
5 Demon Slayer Can Inspire Anyone To Use Nature As Their Gym
The sheer amount of training Tanjiro Kamado undertakes in order to protect his sister Nezuko is awe-inspiring. Granted, viewers don't have to deal with deadly demons in their everyday lives, but Tanjiro's determination can inspire them to get off the couch and into shape.
Tanjiro's training methods may be difficult to replicate as they involve things like destroying a gourd with his breath and slicing open huge boulders with a katana, but being set in the countryside, which is basically Tanjiro's gym, the show can at least encourage viewers to go for a walk in nature.
4 Yowamushi Pedal Can Motivate Fans To Get Back On The Bike
Otaku Sakamichi Onoda rides 90 kilometers to Akihabara every week to buy anime-related products. His cycling prowess doesn't go unnoticed and lands him a spot on his new high school's cycling team.
Onoda's development is one of the best things about this anime and is sure to motivate viewers to get on their bikes, or simply to exercise more. Yowamushi Pedal shows that no matter how a person looks, what their interests are, or how many friends they have, they can always find a place where they belong.
3 Slam Dunk Shows That Sport Can Be A Vehicle For Change
Hanamichi Sakuragi got into basketball simply to impress a girl. From there, viewers see him develop over time into a sportsman despite his delinquent tendencies. Slam Dunk's blend of action and humor and its large cast of solid characters make it one of the best sports anime there are.
The passion and drive of the characters have surely inspired many to pick up a basketball, or else to give it their all in their chosen sport or in other walks of life.
2 Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Is About Having Courage & Willpower
Anyone looking for a jolt of self-confidence can't go wrong with Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple. This 2006 shonen anime can inspire anyone to stop reading about how to improve themselves and put certain ideas into practice.
This is exactly what main character Kenichi Shirahama does when he stops reading self-improvement books and joins his local karate club, where he has to contend with a bully who is intent on kicking him out. In the face of great adversity, Kenichi shows a level of courage and willpower that is inspirational.
1 Baby Steps Shows That Everyone Starts Somewhere
Baby Steps centers on Eiichiro Maruo, a complete newcomer to tennis. He takes up the sport after becoming worried about his health due to inactivity that stems from spending the majority of his time studying. Viewers watch Eiichiro develop as a player and a person, using every ounce of his intelligence, dedication, and passion.
Even for those who are not involved in or do not have any interest in competitive sports, Baby Steps is a great watch and a source of inspiration and motivation to exercise more.