How much exercise do you do ?

[TinaTwinkleToes]

I do a 30 mins lifting weights class
1 hour of yoga
30 mins step
30 mins hit
30 mins stair master
I also walk a mile there and back to my child's school twice a week

The above is within a week

I see people doing loads more exercise. How do they fit it in?

Monday to Friday an hours class with a 10 min warm up run before. Body ballet ,weights , a hyrox style circuit,yoga and hitt power hour. Plus walking and keeping a double allotment

@Fearlesssloth
Thank you, I’ll look into a kids/adult class.

I need to give myself a kick up the bum with hime exercise. By the time they’re asleep and I get a few jobs done, I can’t be faffed.

Run 4 times a week (usually between 8-12k, sometimes more)
HIIT / kickboxing 3/4 times a week
Strength training 2 times a week
School run both ways 4/5 times a week (between 2-3 miles total, depending on which route I take)

Contributing not to make anyone feel bad in comparison but to point out that the reason I can do all of the above is because I am lucky that I have; a very flexible job so I can exercise in the day while my children are at school nursery (make up the time in the evenings), a hugely supportive husband and loads of family help, the ability to work part time (generally between 3.5-4 days a week, depending on client demand), largely remote work, the means to live near good schools within walking distance so the school run is on foot. I also just really love exercise, which I believe is partly genetic and so again is luck of the draw.

So my situation compared to a lot of people’s will be vastly different. It’s not a like for like comparison.

It’s the time that gets me, I used to exercise early morning 5 days a week (weights) but I just got tired. I’m going to get back to it but drop it to 3 days of weights and walking. How are people devoting so much time to exercise around work, kids household stuff?

Yesterday evening my boys were at karate so worked out.
Saturday when at coding class I use the hour to walk.
Weekdays between meetings I take 30 mins or during my lunch.
Walk to the station for when I do go into an office.

Definitely not easy but can be done.

I try to do 2/3 30min strength training per week online. I walk the evenings I am not doing that for 30-40 mins. Walk at weekends. I’d like to add a swimming session and a yoga session eventually but at the moment I am too busy working and being a taxi. I don’t exercise before work because I am sleeping.

I have recently started exercising "properly". For me, that means 3 times a week i either run or go to the gym. If i go to the gym i do weights, then run.

Prior to this (and i still do this along side gym/run] i get minimum 10k steps, target is 13k. I also muck out, poop pick and fare for 2 ponies and some chickens daily

Love push and pull. Legs always a chore!

I’m 64 . I try to walk 6,000 steps a day . I go to the gym three times a week to do 2 spin classes, a Pilates class, plus do my own gym routine involving rowing and weights which takes about 40 mins on the days I go .

Thank you. There’s only one class I don’t need to be present for, I can walk there when it’s lighter (middle of nowhere).

It sounds like it may get easier as they get older.

Every day twice a day a 15 min light weights and toning exercises (after breakfast and lunch)
30-60 minutes of walking after lunch as well daily.

I started doing this in September and also cut out sugar and I have lost 2 stone and toned up significantly. It doesn’t feel like too much effort either so I haven’t lost motivation.

Walk about 16000 steps a day. That's including what I do at work, I work in a kitchen. I'm lifting things all day so that'll do me for weights.
No money, or time, for the gym; I have no childcare other than when she's in school.

I swim 6 times a week for at least 55 minutes at a time, sometimes more. I make it work around work hours - when I start late I do a morning swim, when I finish late an evening swim etc. My children are older though and doesn’t want to spend as much time with me as they used to. I also walk and cycle most places.

I'm up at 6 to walk the dog on my wfh days, or to get ready for the commute to the office. If I'm wfh I take the dog out at lunchtime as well. I try and get to the gym or pool 3 times a week and then longer walks with the dog at weekends. It's really hard when you work full time, have other hobbies that you do, friends and family to see, and house stuff to keep on top of - I just do what I can and accept I might do better some weeks than others.

I run average 60km running a week plus walking dogs and 1 PT a week. So today I have fit it in by;
6.30 - get up kids ready and BF
7.30 - drive kids to school
8.30 - quick dog walk
9.00 - work (FH)
12 - run
1.00 - work again
5.30 - make fajitas for fam and eat
6.00 - quick read / HW
6.30 - supermarket with kids
7.30 - drop kids at swimming / go for run
9.00 - home and all go to bed!

week days all look similar to that. More time on weekends I can have run 2 hours and everyone is still pootling about!

@BuddhaAtSea
I’m late 50’s
walk to work and back 20 mins each way, 3 times a week. Monday- 1 hr yoga, Wednesday and Friday swim 60 lengths, other 20 minute walks during the working week as I go out on visits and to meetings

Weights 4 times a week. Then walking at least 10,000 steps a day. I have a walking pad at home do do a lot on that during the day when WFH, but always go out for a walk at lunchtime.

Look around for a small local family friendly gym, there's a couple near me.
They're usually fairly small but do the job and are welcoming.

I take my 3yo in her buggy and have done since she was 6 weeks old. Occasionally I go a bit later in the day and my 10yo comes too, he will join in for a bit and then sit and read or do his homework. Usually end the session letting my 3yo lift a (very light) dumbell/hang from gymnastics rings or similar to start getting her interested.

The owners kids are often there, as are a couple of the PT's, there's also two girls who bring their babies in prams, they time it for when they're napping and they sleep through.

Obviously depends on the child though, my SIL can't take her dd as she just cries and messes about.

A run 50-60km a week and do yoga 4x/week. My kids are teenagers now so do their own thing a lot and can be left at home alone. I probably wouldn't have been able to do so much when they were young.

I do x4 spinning sessions a week.

Around 4-5 hours of dog walking a week.

I try and run a few times a week too, but presently impossible with the constant rain we've had, as where I live is quite rural.

Until two years ago I never exercised and would have 100% said the same. Currently doing 3x 1 hr weight training sessions a week, started running again so two runs a week when wfh on my lunch break as I only do 30 mins - tbh sometimes I don’t always fit it in but during the week I’ll go to the gym for 6:30, partner does bathtime and bedtime routine, then I’m back for to put one our children to bed or go after they’re asleep. I’ll go on a Saturday and Sunday to catch up if I can’t get done what I wanted in the week.

I am fortunate were a two parent household though - I imagine if you’re a single parent it would be nigh on impossible unless you do at home workouts or have alternative childcare.

I try and have a bit of a walk every day. That's it really.

Run 4 or 5 times a week which is
1 x interval session (Tuesday eve)
parkrun (Saturday)
Long run 10-15 miles (Sunday morning) and
1 or 2 easy runs (weekday evenings)
1 strength session (at home before work)

I really started prioritising my own hobby about 3 years ago after years of being the default parent to take the DC to their activities. Now only 1 teen at home full time and he mainly goes to the same sports sessions at DH, I only need to take him once a week.

I walk to and from the station every day but its only about 10 minutes to the station and less than 5 min to work the other end, and occassionally run errands during the day but nothing too strenuous.

I’d say look at how much you’re eating, if you’re not eating enough, especially protein you won’t build the muscle. I’m quite muscly in my delts and trap but I have lipoedema so don’t have the definition I’ve worked bloody hard for in my arms aside from the bicep. Also creatine is great if you can tolerate it.

I found my people!