If you aren’t particularly sporty, how do you keep physically active?

[Labradabradorable]

I’m 43 and am currently quite slim and busy, but could be much more active. I’m very aware that for many women the responsibilities of two generations coupled with busy work schedules and feeling menopausally tired can make it harder to stay fit. I really, really want to head through midlife fit, energetic and a healthy weight.

The thought of joining in a team sport or working out in a sweaty gym fills me with horror and I’m looking for more enjoyable ways of staying active. I work 4 days a week but have a little flexibility. Kids primary age.

So far, I enjoy dog waking for an hour once or twice a week ( active Labrador, my DH loves running him alone though, it’s his down time) , once a week Pilates or yoga, weekly/ fortnightly dog agility, swimming twice a week, looking after a biggish garden. I
Quite fancy running but all my running friends can easily power through 10k, so it would be just me and the dog. I love riding but am fearful of hurting myself ( is gentle hacking a bit pointless though?).

Any ideas of how to enjoy being active would be great and much appreciated.

c25k

I love running (now). it's my 'me' time. podcast on and off I go for half an hour or a little longer.
I very rarely run in a group. very occassionally attend a running group.

how donyou feel about cycling? there is domething special about this 'wheeeee' feeling when you are on a roll.

Walk a lot and wear wrist and ankle weights.

Work out half an hour a day. Try Lucy Wyndham Read, Rebecca Louise, Growingannanas, Jake DuPree.

Yoga has really helped me. I feel like I can fling a leg over a gate without risk of injury.

I was really really inflexible and now I’m approaching normal. I did a year of classes, one a week and now I do a 15 minute video about 4x a week. I’ve always walked quite a lot too.

Totally missed that you already do yoga. Can you up that to twice a week/do a harder class?

Some good ideas here. My bike is just back from a service, so I might try a half hour bike ride at the weekends.

The thought of hard yoga is terrifying. Lack of this sort of exercise over the pandemic means I've totally lost my sense of balance. I'm very much back to trying to keep up with the fitter oldies again!

You say you love riding...start a side hustle of mucking out and hacking out for busy people. My DD1 did this alongside Uni and earned masses. Certainly keeps you fit.

Tennis? Rock climbing?

If you want a healthy ageing body though, you have do to strength training. There is no other option. Above 40s you will lose muscle mass and light activity wouldn’t do it.

I think the important thing is not to talk yourself out of exercise because ‘it’s not enough‘

I used to run 10k and half marathons till I had to give it up due to injury. The injury is well enough managed that I could do stuff like parkrun. Bit I find myself thinking…. I could pop out and run the 1mile round the block. But I never do because it feels like it’s not enough.

I only realised very recently I’ve talked myself out of loads that way.

My new mantra has to be, if it is better than sitting on the sofa, I’ll do it. So in that vein OP, walk, do some hacking,whatever. Just get out there!

This is a good question. I love nature hikes so I go on two or three each week on my own. I used to go swimming at a pool not far away when I was in my teens as well. As a child I played tennis in the summer at a nearby park with my mom and sister, I took group lessons but was rubbish. You could try cycling or hockey etc. Other options include seated exercise classes for physically impaired folks.

The only exercise class I’ve ever found that I enjoy is clubbercise- it’s like a night out dancing around to old school club tunes, it’s dark so you don’t feel exposed and you wave glow sticks about and shout “whoop whoop!” and burn 400-500 calories an hour.

I'm doing much of what you do but like a PP said, I try to say yes to anything that's better than sitting on the sofa! On a good week I do 2 Pilates classes, at least one of which is strength- focused, and 2 gym workouts, cardio and weights (not very high level on either!) As a family we usually do one long walk at the weekend and I aim to hit at least 10k steps a day.

Sometimes I swim a little, I might try a different class sometimes, it's just making sure that there's a routine for exercise and a continual undercurrent of activity, if that makes sense? I'm not the poster child for fitness, that's for sure, but I'm trying to stay healthy.

I'm a little younger but recognise the sense of being so busy.

I've recently started bouldering at a local climbing centre. Wanted to go out of my comfort zone a bit, and get fitter via something I actually find fun. I'm really into it and it feels like a whole body work out! I just had to do a short evening session for safety lessons etc and now I can go when I like.

I am not sporty and would love to do more exciting exercsie but am busy too. So I made myself love running (took 6 months ) and I do bit of weight training at home 6 days per week. These are things I can fit in and I feel and look so much better for it even though its an effort.

We squeeze in walks, swims and bike rides with DD at weekends and sometimes rather than meeting a friend for coffee or a drink we cycle a few miles to beach and have coffee or tin of gin there:combining socialising and a bit of exercise.