To ask if your husband/partner goes to the gym or exercises regularly?

[JustGettingStarted]

And, if so, do you?

The reason I ask is that I have noticed a discrepancy in the typical age ranges of gym goers. I see men of all ages (18-70's) at the gym at all times of the day. However, I mostly only see women either younger than 25 or older than 40. I see relatively few 30yo women at the gym, but lots of 30yo men - many wearing wedding rings.

Then, I notice on here many threads from women with younger children looking for tips on home workout videos, how to get in shape without a gym, etc.

I sometimes think that mothers are staying home while fathers feel free to take time to exercise.

Just curious to hear your annectdata!

On the plus side rainbow it doesn't sound like you or your husband need to go to the gym if you're on your feet that much 😂😂

. Actually I do go to the gym but that is in school hours now I am lucky to be part time while both DC in school.

Time to yourself is a luxury which o wouldn’t expect until child is at least 3

Err... why?! We had 2 under 2. I now have a 4 year old, a 3 year old and am 30 weeks pregnant. Apart from the first few months when mine cluster fed and didn’t go for long stretches without a BF we’ve always both managed time to ourselves. Why wouldn’t we? They have another parent to be at home with them. If I was out then DH would tidy up the days mess while the DC were asleep, and vice versa. Or it got done the next day. We both would have gone a bit crazy if we never got out anywhere.
Anyway to answer the OP, DH and I are mid 30’s. He goes to the gym at some point during his working day when he’s got a gap between meetings. I’m a SAHM with a 4 year old and 3 year old. I go to the gym either when the 3 year old is at pre school and evenings or weekends, although as I’m heavily pregnant it’s mainly just a slow swim and a coffee! Both have equal opportunities to go id say.

Sorry, that was me, I forgot I had name changed. Will stop derailing the thread now!

VauxhallVectra That is the sort of staff attitude that puts me off going to the gym.

I'm really derailing now sorry but how on Earth are you that busy in the evening if you are out half the time and kids in school? Genuinely curious!

I was thinking the same... how much mess can possibly be made?! I have one in reception and one pre schooler. They put their own toys away before bed, I (or DH) stack the dishwasher while they’re doing it. I wipe the bathroom done while they’re in the bath. Not that much to do when they go to bed!

Two cooperative and well organised parents should be able to arrange their household so that everyone has time to fulfill their physical/emotional/mental needs while still ensuring the children are well cared for.

Indeed, I'd actually go further and say it is not good for the children or parent to not have time where they are only with each other and the other parent isn't around. As that is what allows individual relationships to bond between them, so you get father/son and mother/son relationships rather than just parent/son relationship, which can lead into stiff roles such that one parent can never be nurturing etc.

As to the gym, 30 year old men who exercise will be more likely still be involved in team sports, the younger will have time for both, the older will have started to jack it in. Men and women do exercise differently, it's not just available time.

Were both mid 30s. DH goes to the gym. I don't do any "organised" exercise. I encourage him because he's overweight and I'd like him to have a long and healthy life. Your theory holds, however, because I do all nursery pick-ups so I couldn't go even if I wanted to.

Well I don’t get loads of weekdays off, just when I do I go to the gym which sucks over 2 hours out of the day. I am also incredibly messy plus kids do loads of activities so we often don’t get home until after 7. Eg if swimming, get home around 7, need to sort snack, bedtime, wet swim kit, tea for adults. It’s easily 9pm by then. Then they need a snack even if they had a packed tea earlier. I try to prep tea for DH and I earlier in the day. Don’t want to derail further but I really despair and can’t ever see myself getting an evening tbh.

In their younger days (when I was referring to not getting time to yourself), I had a baby / preschooler at home when I was off so very little got done.

I join then quit every few months whereas my husband has always exercised so it’s as much part of his routine as drinking and eating with my Friends is for me 🙈
This is why I struggle to lose weight but have some fab friendships, husband has a 6 pack but no proper friends

I hope he’s able to make some pals when I die of an obesity related illness in a few years.

Rainbow

I work full time, do all the cooking from fresh (DH cleans up) and often don't get in till 6 after work and I'm still sat on the sofa by 7.30...laundry gets done on weekends, I don't need to clean in the week (admittedly that's when working full time helps as there's no one in to make a mess!) My mind boggles at how you can be so rushed off your feet 5 nights a week. I admire you going to the gym in your free time as I'd be watching Netflix haha. I understand more when home with young kids, making mess etc. But sorry I will stop detailing now lol, and I'm not judging just genuinely confused!

DH goes 3 days a week before work and then with me Saturday and Sunday.

I run 3/5 times a week as well as doing and teaching a couple of classes.

We are both in our 40s.

My husband plays football twice a week. I am 3 months PP and need to train for a half marathon in March so I have told him I will be training 3 x per week. We don’t really have the money for either of us to go to the gym.

DH cycles to work (about 4 miles each way) and does some weight training at home.
He'd probably quite like to go to the gym but there's only one where we live and it's shite.

My joints aren't so hot at the moment so I'm doing very little but I could go whenever suited me, as far as DH is concerned.

I hope he’s able to make some pals when I die of an obesity related illness in a few years.

Proper LOL!

May I suggest going running/walking with a friend. One who is good at commitment and hassling you. Mine got me running and here I am three years later, able to run properly if slowly!

I see a lot of women in their late 20s early 30s doing boot camp style classes in the park.

OP you are not wrong.

I actually have done lots of exercise since my mid teens just because I tagged along with my sisters, then with friends who were getting fit for particular careers and then because I found sports I liked doing.

I belonged to a gym - not the same one - on and off until I was 26 then I started running and took up a team sport so stopped my membership for the 14 years. I noticed around the age of 30 that most women I know and knew who had kids didn't exercise at all. However once they discovered they liked running for exercise and/or cycling as transport did that.

I got injured about 2.5 years ago and did some work from home so joined a gym again. In the classes most women where under 25 or over 40. (I now in the latter demographic.) The men who came to classes consistently were 50+.

I notice when I go out running or out and about women tend to run in the morning either very early or about 10am. There as men run at all times of the day.

DH goes 3 times a week on his lunch. Does weights. Runs once or twice a week.

From my observations, a lot more women seem to think that their partner should just accept their weight gain if they love them. Whilst men are much more visual creatures by average so seem more inclined to work at staying slim. (Dons armour)

Scott, really?! I’d say both men and women fairly equally seem to just expect their partners to put up with weight gain.

On the women using PTs more, my observation is that men are more likely to go to the gym floor in a mini group (usually c. 3) and coach each other.

In my gym older men defo use PTs

Where do you live Scott? Where I am women defo take more care than the average man! Lots of belting trousers under the gut going on!

We both do at different times - 5 times each and then we parkrun together on sat. Both our gyms are full of people of all ages. I'm certainly one of many women in their 30's in my class !

45, we go together.