For me, martial arts covered all the above reasons in one way or another. Most of all, socially, it was a way of getting connecting further with my dad, as he's been my primary teacher since I was a child. Even now, one of his main motivations to recover from his stroke is so that he can continue teaching me. I enjoy the awareness, speed, and abilities engendered in it all. My education was fairly broad in that I wasn't simply taught Tae Kwon Do and a bit of Aikido, there was also weightlifting, meditation, and training in various weapons.
Before I could even walk, my dad was stretching me out so I could do the splits and high kicks that I later proved highly capable of. My games growing up involved throwing shuriken, shooting a bow, various rifles and pistols, a blow dart gun, and learning to use whatever was around me as a weapon. In my late teens I was expected to always be "on", as my dad may throw something at me at any moment, and I was expected to block it, even if it was just a pillow. If I ignored it, he'd throw something harder
Wherever I go, I'm expected to always be aware of my surroundings, and how best to defend myself/escape. Rather than being stressful it simply becomes a habit.