People who are too busy to do exercise

Not that I have to explain myself to you, but …

Full time work, two neurodivergent children, part-time PhD, husband who works away, no family nearby for childcare, chronic illness and a mobility issue, etc etc …

I’m not complaining, I just think you should be aware that not everyone has the same life as you before you judge.

If you don't make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.

Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day
Yes I work, yes I have kids, yes I have one SEN kid, yes I keep a house, yes I have pets, yes I have elderly parents etc...the only thing I don't have are excuses.
If you want to, you will.

Who looks after your kids when you go for a run? How much time do you actually need? Change clothes, run, shower and change. I assume you do shower afterwards??

i used to be you before I had kids. I ran, went to the gym. Exercising was my life. When I was pregnant I found a gym with a crèche because I was convinced I would be back exercising the minute I was cleared after my 6 week postpartum appointment.. I genuinely believed that and had every intention to do it. Well guess what.. My kid is 6 years old and only now I am finally at a place where I have the mental and physical capacity to start exercising again. And I am talking 50 minutes max, including changing and showering. And I do it on my lunch break when I work from home. Because that is genuinely the only time I have between working full time, doing drop off and pick up, doing all the housework, cooking, cleaning. Yes I have a husband, yes we share the load. I still don’t have time for myself with kids of primary age who need mummy all the time..

My mental health suffered greatly because I missed exercising every day since I had my kids and I was gutted when I genuinely couldn’t find the time in my day to work out.

So yes, some of us want to but don’t have the time to. Consider yourself lucky and judge less.

We all need to find our version of keeping fit. Some of us hate running but love the gym. Some prefer sport. Some o us panick when we go up a dress size and some don’t care.

I think we are always too busy to do the things we don’t care about or the things that we don’t enjoy deep down. Not everyone is sporty.

Maybe they don't want to and maybe just mind your own business

Ah, you’re telling me how to parent my teens so I can fit in exercise? Are you aware of their needs? No, didn’t think so. Please don’t comment on my ability.

Well, yes - that’s the point. It’s not nice to judge harshly, is it? If OP can judge other people for not fitting in exercise, I can judge her just as harshly for not working as hard or as long as me. See what I did there?

I actually do relate, a bit, although I absolutely know some people who pack so much in their day they would have to stop doing something to make room for exercise. People who are carers, have young children, single parents…

But, I have had the annoying comments about how much exercise I do. It’s usually smug mummies, you know the type (with money), who sigh, and say, I don’t know how you do it, I just don’t have the tiiime (at a million kid’s clubs or socialising).

It's what your priorities are.
If exercise is a priority you will
find time to do it. If something else is more important then won't...and you may have something else you have to prioritise and that could well be sitting with a cuppa after being constantly exhausted or reading a book or chilling out so that you can recharge flat batteries. It all depends on what you prioritise.

What else do you like to judge other people on OP?

Why are you bothered about other peoples exercise habits? Maybe they don’t have time/energy or maybe they just can’t be arsed and find exercise a chore. Maybe they have children to look after 24/7 and can’t leave them to go out running.

I get up at 6ish after a terrible night sleep with my youngest, get both kids fed and ready, myself ready, out the house for before work. Full day at work. Home by 5.30/6. A precious hour to spend with the kids until bedtime. 7.30 kids asleep, time to make dinner. 8.15pm cooking and dinner done, time to either do housework or relax for an hour before an early bed given I’ll be up all night with youngest.

At which point would you fit in exercise??

Dont get me wrong I love exercise and know it’s important but it’s just not feasible to do four times a week at the moment. You might be fitter than most of us on this thread but you don’t sound like a nice person.

I'd love to see your weekly schedule

This and also because I have little children, a very demanding job and often my only available time is when they're in bed but I don't feel I can run and feel safe at that time. I tried the gym but couldn't get there enough - took too much time there and back plus work out which then reduced available time in evening to work and sleep a sufficient amount. I prioritise being able to do as much childcare for my kids as possible and still work enough to bring in a good amount as breadwinner. I do try to fit a run here and there around work but I'm already trying to do a full day of work in reduced working hours around school. When I work away I try to book places with a gym or pool on purpose to make best use of being kid free. I'm sure it will be easier when they're a bit older.

Is it just people not making time to exercise that annoys you? Or people who don’t make time to read? Or people who don’t make time to keep up with current affairs? Or people who don’t have time to spend as much time with their friends as they would like.

or is this faux horror because you feel
superior?

But it's ok for OP can ridicule / judge others?

I work full time
I care for elderly parents
Do volunteering stuff
Run the house
I'm knackered.
My knee hurts.
Choice between a run and an early night?
Get lost with your patronising OP

I struggle to get out for a run because I can't leave young kids alone and I'm not crazy about running alone as there are very few routes that aren't a bit lonely or dodgy in the dark.

I also struggle to exercise soon after food as I feel sick which makes fitting in exercise quite complicated as once the kids are in bed and dinner has gone down I'm about ready to collapse in a heap.

I could do other exercise in the house as I have space but I'd not want to do cardio/jumping next door to a lightly sleeping child or in a flat with downstairs neighbours so the types of exercise that work when kids are young and you have limited childcare can be pretty restrictive.

Having the space to exercise at home is a privilege, so I can quite easily see that someone in a crowded house might well struggle to find time to exercise without disturbing sleeping children and it probably requires co-operation from a partner...

@Eldermilleniallyogii aha yes it is very wrong of me to prioritise my child’s needs over exercise. That must be where I am going wrong! It might be true for some people but for me it’s not about prioritising my hobbies because I don’t have time for anything for myself right now. I know it will pass as DS grows up but the insinuation that all busy mums are making poor choices is insulting.

Right 😆

I can't believe people are still replying to this wind up merchant

Oh, and yes I am scrolling on my phone right now, whilst curled up in my autistic child's bed, as she will only fall asleep with me next to her. I've read some ignorant, privileged , nasty bullshit on this site over the years, but this OP is the worst of the lot.

You don't believe I can't fit in a half hour a few times a week? Well lucky you. I work FT, including some evenings , am a single mum of two autistic young DC, have two elderly parents who rely on me almost daily and pets to take care of. Go fuck yourself. Your ignorance is incredible.

I feel seen!

Until your kids are old enough t to be self sufficient and/or left alone it is so hard to fit it in. I work in office 5 days a week and have an hour commute each way, DH leaves for work super early. The only time I can exercise is 5:30am and this is only possible now my kids are teens and can be left alone and don’t need me to do anything in the morning for them. It is so hard with little kids and the guilt of trying to prioritize yourself over spending time with your kids even if it is just a couple of hours a week is hard to overcome especially if you also work full time

Judgy as it may be, this post inspired me to get up and move a bit. I have zero motivation and use full time work and two children as reasons not to exercise. I’ve just jogged a few laps of the kitchen whilst doing the dishes instead of running the dishwasher. It’s not much but it’s 3000 more steps than I was going to do today.
It looked silly but I feel better for it!