How much exercise do you do?

[PerfectionistProcrastinator]

I am soon to be 37 and do no exercise. I’m a few lbs overweight and go through phases with exercise but in general, normal for me is none. My job is physical but not in an exercise replacement sort of way.

For me any exercise I do goes hand in hand with trying to eat better etc, so quite stop start. DP on the other hand always takes regular exercise, and so do his circle of friends.

It got me wondering how common it is at my age for people to do no exercise outside of normal day to day life such as running around after children and walking into town etc.

Workout every other day, take one week off in 12. We converted one of our outbuildings into a gym. It's nothing fancy but it works for us. Very long walks, we live out in the country so very lucky to have beautiful walks. Running a few times a week atm but that varies. I enjoy it all and would go mad without it.

We are quite active, even though we are overweight.

Monday evenings-we go walking. This evening we walked the coast path for 2 hours and walked 13k steps.
Tuesday is surfing for an hour and a half.
Wednesday is an hours walk with the dogs
Thursday is another few hours on the coast path
Friday night we have off.
Saturday is surfing all afternoon
Sunday is the day off.

We both HATE the gym, and lobe walking and surfing.

We need to sort out our diets though!

We’re just over 60 always been fit. Now retired we go to our daughters gym several times a week, weights and cardio walk our dog 45 mins twice a day. Go swimming 6/7 sessions a month.
Walk loads on holidays 20k steps minimum a day.

Feel really healthy and fit have a few treats never eat processed food always fresh ingredients, weight and aches; so far not creeping on with age.

PerfectionistProcrastinator
I started Joe Wicks at the start of lockdown. For the first one I gave up after a few minutes then switched it back on. I continuously stopped, I sweated, I thought this is ridiculous this isnt for normal people, my knees cracked, I couldn't do some of the exercises and I felt so sore for around 3 days until I did the next one. This time i was similar but stopped a little less. Afterwards in bits again. Two days later next one, definitely easier. Went out for a walk and started drinking more water. Felt amazing. Still stiff but more supple, more awake. Did it again 2 days later. Found I was eating less bread and stodgy stuff. Skin looking better and while i hadn't lost weight I found myself feeling like my clothes fit better. It's all about the feeling for me, more energy, more awake, happier in general.

I go to the gym 5 days a week for an hour, I also walk the dog every day and coach netball teams that currently require three 75 mins session a week.

20-50 min s day of workout (hiit, weights, yoga). 3 times a week running. Never did any exercise until the year I turned 40 (2 years ago) btw.

I'm 52. I run at least 5km every other day and walk, do weights or use the elliptical as well. On my non-running days I swim and/or walk for at least an hour. This is easier than normal as I'm working from home just now and have access to a gym and pool in my building.

In my 30s with young DC I used the gym, swam and ran so exercised 3-4 times a week. I walked to work for 5 years too but it was only ten minutes each way!

Before lockdown - zero after having my eighteen month old.

Went back to running after lockdown just to escape the house. Never bee much of a runner and still not but I joined a challenge to do 25 miles in May and did 75 somehow! Also tried body pump online and surprised myself by really enjoying it but I only have hand weights and struggling to get hold of a barbell. I am not and never have been an exerciser but I'm hoping to keep it up, although it will be a lot more difficult while working and commuting.

I am 39. Run most days and have done since I was about 15. Usually run in the fells at the weekend.

Also have an exercise bike which I use about three times a week.

Walk most places or cycle if it's warm and dry as we only have one car and husband usually needs it for work.

@mynamesmrdiggety Try physical company or Jordan Fitness for bodypump equipment if you want to keep up bodypump at home. I got stuff between those sites and am loving being able to do it at home. I always find it hard to get to a class at convenient times normally, so even once I'm back at work it will be much easier for me to keep it up at home now I have all the equipment.

I've got horses, so do horse duties (mucking out, sweeping up, etc) for an hour or so each morning, at a pace that gets me slightly out of breath and sweaty and call that my daily exercise. More often than not, I also walk up to them in the afternoon and sometimes ride (1-2x week). I like to run on my way up to the fields, short bursts, but I'm sure it mounts up, as it's up hill. Otherwise, I am generally an active person and a bit of a fidget, from 6am-7pm, when I flop. We've walked lots during lockdown too

Before lockdown I was exercising about 4-5 times a week. Lots of functional fitness and weights then I got a bad injury so switched to spin.

I felt strong, healthy, capable, energetic. It even makes me feel more confident, like I could handle myself better in an attack or something as I'm strong and fast.

Because of lockdown and not being able to do anything apart from spin due to my injury I haven't exercised much and I honestly feel like shite in comparison. It make SUCH a huge difference.

Can't wait to get back to it.

@PerfectionistProcrastinator

Seeing some of the replies is making me wonder, those who regularly exercise, is it because you like the way it makes you feel? Because you know exercise is important for health? Habit? Or do you just genuinely enjoy the doing of it? I know there will be a range of answers and everyone is different so I’m curious.

I find using cardio machines really boring and I am no good at running. I really hate it in fact. Surely it’s best to find something I really enjoy doing. I just need to find it!

I really want to do kettlebell workouts but there’s not much space at home and I worry about dropping them on the wooden floor/myself! Also, when I tried an beginners YouTube workout one last year I couldn’t move for a few days! I can’t squat 😒. I saw somewhere a kettlebell class in the swimming pool with looks amazing! But not local to me and nowhere around here does it.

For me it was knowing I needed to improve my health first - I hated it though, but it then became habit, and I do enjoy it but I'd always rather not go and stay watching tv if you know what I mean but I know I'll feel amazing afterwards.

Op it sounds like you're making excuses - yes you're going to hurt at first. Of course you are you haven't exercised before. Just take it steady and keep pushing through. Stretch and use a roller. Just do it, don't allow yourself to start making excuses. Because there's always a reason not to exercise!

If you're struggling to start something alone then committing to some kind of class or group may help x

I'm 47 and do 5 hiit workouts a week at home (mixture of cardio/weight training) , some yoga /flexibility exercises plus either walking/cycling /tennis with ds in the evenings and weekends. At 37 I did nothing as I had a non sleeping 2 Yr old and was permanently exhausted. In lockdown I also took up roller skating again which is loads of fun. I think the key is finding things you enjoy and mixing it up so you don't get bored.

At the moment, just lots of walking, about 10-12 miles. This is part of my life as a carer, not something I do for fun.
Before lockdown I used to go swimming as often as I could, that would be about 21/2 hours a week.
I do workouts indoors as well sometimes,about 30 minutes at a time, but I have let these slip at the moment.
I'm 60, and love being fit and healthy.

I do something every day - running, yoga, online cardio like popsugar etc or weights / kettlebells usually. I don't have a routine, just go with what I feel like doing on the day. I also walk everywhere I can & walk in my lunch break etc.

I didn't do much in my 30s aside from a few short lived attempts and it seemed impossible to fit in around young children.

It has picked up in my 40s. I find the gym quite boring, but enjoy lesmills classes, though it was always a challenge to find the right class at the right time to suit me.

At the start of lockdown I managed to get some equipment and signed of to lesmills on demand and I'm now doing 4 or 5 classes per week. I am still working from home though which makes it easier, but I'm hoping to keep it up when I have to go back to the office.

Most people I know have either always been into fitness or have picked it up in their 30s or 40s. I wouldn't say I particularly enjoy it, though I do get a sense of satisfaction when I complete a tough class. For me it's about my physical health and trying to be a bit less flabby!