To think that being in a good shape requires a daily effort and constant discipline

I'm 40 and very proud of my body.

I work a full time office (hybrid) job, but don't have kids, so have time to fit in plenty of exercise.

I run a couple of times a week - maybe a 5k and a 7k. I go to the gym and do weights and cardio workouts, and Body Pump and spin classes - 2 or 3 times a week. I also hike when I can, and walk the dog daily. At the weekend I might do a long run in the morning and lift weights for an hour later that same day.

I joined the university gym at 18 and haven't gone a week since without working out, so I've been working at it for 22 years now. It's something I really love

I also eat clean. I'll have a takeaway when I want too, but I spend a hell of a lot of time on prepping healthy food.

It's hard work. I walk a lot and use public transport and I do lots of stairs but I need a hard 45 minutes to an hour workout to keep fit. That's in addition to a pretty healthy vegetarian diet and I haven't drink alcohol in decades.

I already walked a mile this morning but I'm about to go do some steady state rowing. What really helped me was buying my own exercise machines and some weights. All I have to do is go upstairs rather than hoof or bus it to a gym. It's an investment in my health that's paying off.

Ah, it's a shame you don't like running. For those that like it, it's ideal for being able to squeeze in here and there, and if you're not customer facing you can have a shower and go back to work with wet hair.

What you have to do op is to have exercise in your schedule and work Around that. Not try and shoehorn the exercise into your schedule. Sometimes that means setting an alarm much earlier (and trust me I’m no lark!) or getting up and out in the evening because that just what you do.

I hear you though. It’s hard.

im 57 btw, work FT and go To the gym 5-6 times a week (cardio / strength / classes).

I'm just 60 (sob) but have managed to stay pretty healthy and a good weight, but it does mean trying to exercise a bit and watching what I eat fairly relentlessly, and not drinking much alcohol.

Yes to it being a constant effort.

I'm sedentary which means eating less than most people would like and very little junk food.

A typical week would see me skip breakfast half the time and eating lunches and dinners like jacket potato and beans, the fabled mumsnet massive salad, bread and butter, overnight oats, curry without rice or naan, soup, stir fry, noodle bowls, tapas.

I do have a milky coffee and chocolate every day, but like pp, usually just a bag of buttons. Takeaways only a couple of times a year.

I don't eat meat or dairy and I eat minimal upf. I also eat high quality stuff which I think helps a lot e.g. a posh olive bread roll with butter, not a torn up bap from a cellophane packet, so the actual nutrient density and flavour helps me feel satisfied .ore than the volume iyswim.

I have now started going to the gym to maintain muscle mass as I'm just hitting 40 and need to keep on top of that.

It's not easy, no, and it annoys me when people say I'm lucky to be slim. I'm not lucky- it's constant effort! I used to be big 20 years ago so it raises my hackles a bit because I feel like it undermines the effort. That said, it's worth it to me because it's not just about fitting into jeans, I want healthy knees and lungs for hiking when I retire and so I'm now more focused on doing the work that will help me in 20 years time. I wish 20 year old me had done the same!

I have to add to my post that I have a very active dog. So my five mile run each day is a necessity just to keep the dog quiet. I find if there's an imperative (like needing to exercise the dog), it makes it easier to get out, because even if it's raining or sleeting the dog still has to go out. So it means I can't give myself the excuse of 'oh, I'll wait until the weather improves' (which would mean going out about twice a year). She HAS to go out, so I HAVE to go out.

Which is probably why people use running to the office or walking to the shops as their imperative. It can't be avoided, so it's built-in exercise.

As a first step I would make sure your NHS boxes are ticked, It sounds like for now it is strength that is missing?

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/

If so I would tackle that - if you have done Pilates before, that could be two home workouts a week (I think if a beginner you prob need in person), box ticked. You could pay for eg Lottie Murphy paid channel - she has loads and paying a bit for something with structure, focus and challenges may make you more likely to commit than the thousands randomly on youtube?. Likewise, I subscribed to Les Mills at home in the pandemic and they have weekly plans and challenges and so on, so perhaps easier to commit. You can also pay for programmes from trainers - again you would want to know what you were doing if flying solo.

Or see if you can commit to one f2f strength based class (cd be Pilates, cd be weights, cd be small group park sessions etc etc - but with a real strength focus) at the weekend, as a start? Two would be better in a week but needs must.

Given your limited time, I would be brutally clear about what it is you are missing and how to achieve it to meet the NHS baseline/your immediate health needs and start there. You can always build up if and when you have more time and flex.

Yes, I think so. Obviously it's different if you are retired but working with young dc I find it very hard to see friends, extended family, husband alone, have family time, facilitate dc's activities, have time with dc, bake, cook from scratch, eat together let alone fit in much exercise!

At 46, it feels like Im paying into a pension - do I want a chance of a comfortable, healthy retirement?

Yes, absolutely. So I save my money & I invest in my health now.

I absolutely do consider a workout or run as work, or at least as important as work, and I put it on my jobs list.

I’ve voted YABU because staying in good shape isn’t necessarily difficult. I’m in my 40s, slim, objectively in good shape. But I don’t have time to exercise. I eat a lot of chocolate. I would love to have time to exercise and cook/prepare healthier food as I would like to be healthy, not just bothered about the shape/appearance.

I try to stand at my desk rather than sitting all day.

I eat until I'm full.

Try to get to an ærobics class once a week.

It definitely has to become routine. I exercise 6 or 7 days a week, combination of strength & cardio. Always reach 10k steps a day through the exercise and adding on a walk if needs be. I rarely drink alcohol, I sleep well, I plan my meals and focus on protein, fruit, veg, whole foods. I batch cook at the weekend. It does take discipline to be like this every single day but for me it is worth it for how if makes me feel. I use exercise as an anti depressant so feel bad if I skip it, which helps me stay on track. This has been my lifestyle for the last 3 years or so, as children now older and I can go to classes in the evening. With little children it was much harder and I was far more tired, so never exercised that much then.

Do you get a lunch break where you could exercise, OP?
I mean time and logistics wise (shower, not completely rigid work hours)?
Being able to run in my lunch hour when my kids were in nursery was all that I could manage for a while.

Don't beat yourself up though - the 4 (or so) miles walking 3 or 4 times a week should keep things ticking over until you do have more time, especially if it's a good brisk walk.

I also have never enjoyed home workouts. I tend to hit the lampshades. My exercise time is my time to get out of the house.

It is very tough!
I ride horses twice a week and I cycle 4 miles to work and back twice a week to help me, as I have a 2 year old getting to gym isn't easy.
I try and eat well but usually have (vegan) chocolate buttons every day 😒

Not sure I would say weekly but it certainly requires more effort.

I have to plan out my exercise for the week otherwise all my gym slots get taken with work. I aim for 5 sessions so that might be 1 on the weekend that I need to plan around the kids activities, 2 early mornings so need to make sure OH also doesn’t want to leave the house early those days, and then 2 lunchtimes which need to be arranged around work commitments. These may actually end up being any time in the working day depending on meeting schedules.

With diet, for me it’s about make sure I have a decent stock of healthy food in and limiting the availability of snacks in the house. Meal planning helps me.

So it’s not a daily activity but more requires planning for the week ahead.

Habit and a desire to stay fit into old age. I find 90 year olds who run and exercise inspirational.

Some days I view exercise as a necessary evil, other days I view it as the ultimate act of self-love.

I’m closer to 60 than 50, and see my peers starting to struggle with everyday movement and it scares me.

I think, once it's a habit, it's not so much work - there isn't the 'shall I shan't I'? mental struggle - you just get your exercise shoes on and get out, or eat plenty of veg, like you clean your teeth or shower every morning.

And the effort of staying fit and healthy is NOTHING compared to the effort of living 24/7 with an overweight, weak or sluggish body!

I aim to carry out regular exercise but it's boring! I do moderate exercise per week because I can commit to that. I think there has to be a balance of work/life/fitness and this ebbs and flows

Will also echo its habit built over the years

now if I don’t get out for a walk at the least I feel terrible

if I end up eating takeaways or out I also often feel quite bad , unsatisfied and often a grumble tum

its easy now - kids grown and retired

i always managed to fit things in - run whilst the kids in clubs , dance or yoga or weights with YouTube , classes and gyms when I had the chance , the same 5 healthy quick to cook eaten by all meals on repeat .. argh the tedium and compromise on taste

20 mins to half and hour most days most weeks should see you ok. It doesn’t need to be the hardest or world beating , just something

I exercise every day but that's because I enjoy it and want to, it's a pleasure, not a job.

Yes its harder to stay in shape without a conscious effort. I come and go in spurts.. gym classes, good meal prep, cutting out sugery crap and alcohol. Tge more I succeed the keener I am to keep going. Its the starting off thsts hard... think holiday or big occasion you can aim for and do it on small hslf stone chunks. Join Slimming World too.

Watch my weight and aim for 10,000 steps a day. But if yoga. That’s it really. Never been one for the gym.