People who are too busy to do exercise

I used to run 5km daily, gym, swim.

Now have young kids. Work in London with a 90-minute commute. I get an hour to myself each evening when kids are in bed, which I choose to spend with my DH, slobbing on the sofa.

Happier now than I was when I used to run.

I leave for work at 6:30am so wouldn't want to get up earlier & before dinner I'm cooking/doing dcs homework & often DH is not home/still working so can't leave the dc alone.

Plus hate jogging, so try & do some yoga etc though.

This is on par with the molly mae 24 hours in a day comment 🥱

4 miles 4 times a week? Thats lazy OP I manage to get in at least 25 miles.

No not really. But I did when I had time and wasnt feeling so exhausted. Life has changed now so it isnt possible.

It's not just exercise you have to find time for. It's arranging childcare (if you have children) and the journey to and back from the gym. Then the time it takes to shower and do your hair. It really can be difficult to fit it into daily life.

Well, I can't run 4 miles in 30-40 minutes, so I would need longer than you to do what you do.

But they may be using this as shorthand for a variety of more complex circumstances. I don't say it (because largely I agree with you) but were I to it would be because:

1. I work full time and have no child care after 7 pm - I'm then restricted to exercise I can do in the house or garden - this limits me, particularly as what I really like to do is hike. Same at weekends. Kids not yet big enough to hike with me at weekends. It's easier to say I have too much on - which I do, in the day time when the most options are open to me.
2. Sometimes when I get to the portion of the day when I have time to exercise my resolve is low because I've stuck at various things all day and so have used up my resolve on things other than exercising when I'm tired.
3. I find it really hard to fit it in in the morning before work because my children start getting up from 5 am (without fail) and I refuse to get up before that because anything starting with a 4 is still the night.

So again, I think I could be forgiven for saying I'm too busy rather than explain that whole rigmarole. But yes, in principle I agree, I - and others who say they are too busy - could prioritise it more. I would benefit from doing so. Props to you - genuinely - for managing it. If you have any motivational tips I'd love to have them.

Some people want to exercise, some don’t. Some people can exercise, some can’t. And lots Of variations in that matrix. Can’t you imagine that everyone is different? I’ve been in phases of my life where I’ve exercised and phases When I haven’t.

I was referring to parents of children

Well, I do more exercise on more days than you do... So what's YOUR excuse for not doing as much as ME...? It's so annoying, I honestly can't believe you think you are so busy and so important that you can't squeeze a bit more in...
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

I think when I say I don’t have time, it’s not simply about finding the half an hour, it’s about having 30 minutes where I have enough physical energy. I study for my degree, work part time, have a house to take care of, and an autoimmune condition - I’d love to exercise more, but sometimes that just isn’t possible.

OMG, I would never find the time to go running and people who bang on about running all the time are boring as F

However, I do find time to do other excerise during my lunch break which i dont discuss with anyone. Not even sure who knows i do it bar my husband and a few close friends.

If i had to go back into an office, that would be the end of my of excerising

I have the time, I just don't have the energy, and I can't run!

Work full time, have 3 boys at home plus DH. By the time I get home, make tea, sort washing, go shopping, give floors quick go over, do more washing (there really is a lot of washing), clean the bathrooms, etc. I just want to, as someone else put it, slob in front of the TV or go read my book. Or even just sit, do nothing and decompress.

But hey, good for you 👌

I volunteer in my community several hours a week. Would it be mean to judge you for not helping your community when you are selfish enough to use your free time on a hobby that benefits nobody except yourself.

Not everyone has the time, money, motivation and ultimately privilege to exercise, be thin, volunteer etc, etc. Just be grateful for what you have & leave everyone else alone.

I work 14 hour days in a physical job (healthcare) which includes heavy lifting.

I also have some health conditions that make regular exercise very difficult.

Thanks for telling us how much better you are than the rest of us. I feel so much better about myself now.

You speak from such a privileged position @Hollyandivygoout its rather hard to know where to start.

Could she run in her lunch hour? That's what I do

I agree.

And, op, you might one day find yourself in the same situation, so never say never.

I exercised my whole life with real dedication, but when I became a carer (living over an hour from the career) and did that alongside my work, exercise went out of the window. Just picking it up again now.

So none of us should judge others. A) it is none of our business and B) None of us can afford to be smug because, as they say - there but for the grace of whatever force you believe in, go I.

Why are you so invested in other people's excerise schedules and/or their reasons for not doing it?
I find it tedious when people harp on about how they 'force' themselves even when they can't be arsed or try and validate their existence by sneering at people who don't prioritise the same things they do, because they believe their choice is the only right one and anyone who doesn't do it their way is falling short of some sort of standard. But ultimately it doesn't impact me in any way if they choose to live their lives differently to me.
If people say they don't have time to exercise then how does that really affect you? What impact does it have?
I can't be arsed and don't enjoy it among other reasons - does that make you feel validated and that you're a better person than me? You might well be, or you might not be, but so what? What effect would it have on you if I could be arsed and enjoyed it and did it 8 times a week?

As someone who does no exercise, I can tell you it's because I don't prioritise it and I'd rather be doing 12000 other things instead.

Even if I had nothing to do, I'd choose rewatching something on Netflix over exercise.

When people say they're too busy, they either don't want to or they're too tired.

I work 18 hours most days, I'm too physically and mentally tired to push myself any more.

But I do feel like people who spend as much time exercising and/or looking after their appearance as you, are quite selfish. You're putting that time into you over someone else.

when you get enough gold stars you'll qualify for a knee replacement 😂

@Hollyandivygoout this is either a goady post or you are very narrow-minded and unable to empathise with the multitude of reasons someone may find it difficult to exercise.

Different people, different lifestyle, priorities. Needs; but also lack of discipline in many.

I do yoga and meditation every day as it helps me cope with everything else, feel more relaxed.

I guess almost full marks for froth stirring. A couple deducted because I'm not convinced you're as clever or funny as you think you are but whatever.

I have a young baby who is exclusively breastfed - contact naps only - and we co-sleep. DP works full time.

My exercise is walking with baby in pram/sling - not sure if that meets OP’s standards 😂

Oh and breastfeeding seems to burn energy like nobody’s business!

I have absolutely no excuse. I am retired , no young children / caring responsibilities. I live near a park so running would be free. I walk the dogs and we have no car so I walk to most places I go on a regular basis. I used to do pilates and am looking for a local class. It's not cardio vascular type exercise.

No excuse. I don't enjoy eg running & simply can't be arsed.

Some days/weeks, I genuinely do not have time. My DP is away a lot for work, including weekends. I have a difficult 2 year old (sleep-wise) who sometimes doesn't settle until 10pm after battling for 2-3 hours. By that point, I truly am exhausted.

I wake up, get kids ready, nursery drop off, school drop off, use my lunch break at 3pm to pick DS up from school, make him a sandwich, return back to work on my laptop with him at the table or playing, pick DD up from nursery at 5.45pm. By the time we're home, kids fed, kitchen cleaned up, it's around 7pm. Then we begin with the bath/bed routine.

On days where DP is home and can do school pick-up, I'll pick up a lunch time class at the gym and use my break for that, or I'll do a YouTube workout, but honestly sometimes, I prioritise giving myself a break and sitting down at the dining room table to eat my food.

I try my best, but at the moment whilst DC are so small and dependent on me, I have very little "me" time and sometimes when I do get some time to myself, I choose to wash my hair or just sit with a book for 30 minutes instead of exhausting myself further.