How much exercise do you do each week, and why?

[Blissybop]

Bit of a debate with a friend about how much the average person exercises so I was wondering if you were being totally honest how much do you excercise? Not just the gym but any sport, class, hiking etc.

And also why? As in why do you/don’t you?

I average an hour per day.

this could be walking, gym, running, gardening. Some form of movement.

i do it for
mental health
physical health (current) (40’s)
physical heath (prep for old age)
something to do with my time
fun / enjoyment
trtong to keep weight balanced

I swim 1km at least twice and usually 3x a week. Other than that just dog walking 4x a week.

Why? Because I am 56 and a year ago I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and low HRV (average was mid 20s) Now I weigh the same or maybe a little more, but I have normal blood pressure and cholesterol and a better HRV (average is high 30s and it even goes up to mid 50s some days).

I am on meds as well but I didn't want to be unhealthy and relying only on meds. Clearly I needed to prioritise my health more.

I walk the dogs for an hour every day.

Aqua class on Monday.
Swim at the pool Wednesday and Thursday.

If I’m at my caravan at the weekend, I sea swim every day, and walk 2-3 hours, at a leisurely pace. I rarely do long walks or mountains anymore 😕.

I have arthritis, and Hashimotos/hypothyroidism, so I need to pace myself, or I’m out of action for a day or two

My current schedule is a 3 mile power walk every morning either outdoors or on the tread as well as walking the dog twice a day, so my absolute minimum daily steps is about 15000. Reformer Pilates 3 times a week, 2hrs of open play pickleball 3-4 times a week, which sounds less impressive when I say if I'm playing badly I spend just as much time standing around chatting as playing! I also do a 20 min Peloton row class every morning Monday-Friday. I'm in my early 50s and fell back in love with exercise for the first time since I was a teen when I was about 47. I also now have plenty of spare time to do all that. I didn't when my kids were younger.

Nothing at all! Apart from general activity that probably everyone else does, I do no formal exercise. I just don’t enjoy it, I find it a chore. I’ve tried a lot of stuff in the past, but have never really got on with it. I like swimming and skiing on holidays, but that’s not an everyday exercise!

At the facility where I teach my classes, membership is £50 a month which includes unlimited classes (and we have 8 centres so there are 100s of classes a week- cardio, weights, dance, yoga, Pilates…), There are also several gyms, 3 swimming pools, tennis courts, badminton, saunas, steam rooms… I think it’s excellent value for money. Family membership works out even cheaper per person.

I average 15,000 steps a day on work days (walk there and back) and do a reformer Pilates class twice a week. Every night I do a short routine with 5KG weights. I used to run but knackered my foot and got plantar fasciitis which took a load of expensive physio to sort.

I live a ten minute walk from my local town and also from my railway station. My husband and I always walk to these which averages a couple of times a week. When we had our house built we had the loft reinforced with metal beams to accommodate weight machines, it’s now our gym. We work out in our gym 3 times a week. We use free weights and a bench, this usually takes about 45 minutes. On these occasions we also do HIIT on our static bike. In addition to this we go ballroom and Latin dancing once a week and I have a once a week yoga class.
Why?
My husband is 65, I am 63 neither of us welcome decline nor do we expect anyone else to care for us when we haven’t cared for ourselves most especially our children. We have no intention to give in to old age which can sod right off!

@MissConductUS I'd love to know your stretching routine if you are happy to share. 😊

I run 4-5 times a week, 20-30 miles in total depending on what im training for, 1 strength/weights session. I walk to the station and back each day but its only a 10 min walk each way.
I like running and it helps me de-stress, weight/strength training i hope will help me with mobility in older age.

Physio exercises morning and night. I've had two new hips in the last 10 months so I'm rebuilding my body after three years of progressing pain and infirmity.

I don't know how some of you fit in work, family hours of exercise and house work. Well done for keeping all those balls in the air.

Just in case anyone else is reading this thread and feeling utterly inadequate, I want to point out that the vast majority of women I know don’t do this much exercise. If you have young children and work full time or nearly part time then I think it’s often impossible to make it work. I am a healthy weight, enjoy good health (touch wood) and am on my feet as much as I can.
those of you who do two reformer Pilates classes a week plus weights plus walk the dogs…good for you. For everyone else who feels like they are not doing enough…you probably are.

4 gym classes/week. Weight based, heavy strength training

self directed gym sessions 2/3 times a week on top. Usually bit of cardio some weights and yoga/stretching.

dog walks- everyday. About 6000 steps.

I have a sedentary job and apart from getting up and moving to hang the wash out or such have you I need to make time to move!

reasons-
both parents dead from poor lifestyles and genes before 70
vanity- I like being slim and toned
mental health. I notice when I don’t exercise as I am grumpy and low.

i hate running and burpees and refuse to do either.

Currently I run 4 times a week, about 50km in total including one very long run as I am training for my first marathon. I also do strength and conditioning sessions, so yoga, Pilates, lunges etc with dumbbells.
I'm early 60s and enjoy the training and getting stronger. My parents were unfit, both smoked heavily and father drank in the pub every night. He didn't make it to 60 and my mother was always unwell with COPD from her late 50s onwards. Neither did any form of physical exercise although my Mum walked to shops daily.
My brother passed away last year aged 60 after many years of ill health caused by addictions to drugs and alcohol. I started running in lockdown. Prior to that I did Karate 3 times a week for 20 years. I think the key is to find something you love. I've made some lovely friends through running.

Up until 18 months ago I did no exercise whatsoever and was morbidly obese. Then I went on mounjaro, started to lose weight and took up exercise. I couldn’t do much at first because I was so heavy, but the more weight I lost, the more I was able to do, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I lost 13.5 stone in total, have been maintaining now for 6 months and I exercise every day. I run 5-8k 3 times a week, walk 5k to work, hike up to 25k at weekends, and do at least one class a day, a mix of yoga, Pilates, strength class, bounce class, dance and barre. I don’t do every class every week but do at least one of them a day. I also start each day with a short yoga session at home, and I walk absolutely everywhere, usually doing over 20k steps a day.

I originally started because I wanted to lose weight, now I do it purely for enjoyment and the social side of it. And obviously for the health benefits as well.

Currently, I run three or four times a week and on the other days I go for a three-mile walk and/or do a 30-minute dumbbell workout.

I have a full time job, a part time job, children and 5 pets. I find time to exercise because for me it's non-negotiable, like brushing my teeth. My gym is minutes from the house and open 5AM-11PM. Some days I go in the morning, some days in the afternoon when WFH or driving home, some days late evening after dinner. Yes certainly if you're a single mother with toddlers, it can be difficult to get out of the house, but then there's plenty you can do at home as well with just a set of dumbbells.

For everyone else who feels like they are not doing enough…you probably are.
I'm not sure. I actually think most people are not doing enough, especially as resistance training is concerned. Statistics say that about 60something percent of Brits are 'active' but that just means they walk an hour per week. Only 16% of women lift weights.

WFH and my children are older so it does make it easier to exercise

Work out six days a week
four strength classes/ Lift
three reformer pilates/ Callanetics
one spin
one boxing class
i walk everywhere even though I have a car

I do it because I enjoy it and for health reasons .

Of course they don’t but this is MNs! If you ask how many steps you do a day posters will say “30k before lunch”. How do you get your five a day? “I eat ten a day, it’s easy”. Struggling to up my fibre, anyone else? “I get 30g per meal”.

Usually walk about 8000 steps a day (with and without dog!).
3 weight training sessions
2 pilates
5 cardio (exercise bike and mini stepper)

It's all just 20min blocks of moderate intensity though so doesn't feel that bad.
Also I didn't do anything till I was almost 50!

I’m 55 and exercise 5 times a week Pilates reformer and mat and swim once - advice to younger women : don’t stop moving it will age you . I don’t mean expensive classes, just move — walking is great too

Weight train x3 per week
run 5k x3 per week
swim and/or spin class x1-2 per week
walk every day - get at least 10k steps in

i do it for so many reasons. I’m 40 and going through a truly seismic divorce and post separation abuse. It has helped me slowly reconnect with my body after significant trauma - still a work in progress - but my panic symptoms have reduced so hugely. I have shed fad, gained muscle and look like a totally different person, and this reflects the differences on the inside that I have made.

I’ve never been fitter or stronger and I love this version of me. I wish I’d done this years ago! I never used to move!! My 40yr MOT with the GP was all excellent, a year prior there would have been concerns on every metric. It gives me such pride and self esteem to know I have achieved this for myself and I want to maintain it.

I lift weights 4 times (2 upper, 2 lower), run for 30 minutes twice a week, 1 pilates class a week and daily walks around 15k steps

Before children i was quite sporty (running, swimming, hiking, yoga). - 3-4 seasions of about an hour a week
After children a bit of yoga and a bit of running but really not much maybe one session a week at best! Many weeks with nothing.
My youngest is now 14 and for the past year i have been slowly increasing my exercise to 5 times a week. I love it.

i used to love running, it would clear my head and i would feel great physically and mentally afterwards. Yoga has always been with me, it can be relaxing but i love the challenge and trying out funky poses. Im 49 but trying to do handstand brings me back to when i was a young 10 years old girl climbing trees and doing cartwheels! It is fun!
it is 6.41am and i am iff to my pilates amd dumbbells classes now, i need to work these muscles to get stronger arms if i want to be able to do my handstand (and other cool poses)

3 or 4 1km swims per week, plus a couple of 45 minute spin classes. I'm 56 and I know I should also do weights but it's boring. Also walk the dog 2 or 3 times a week, other half does most of dog walking.

Why? Because it makes me feel good and I want to stay healthy.