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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Who has 150 minutes spare to exercise?

115 replies

Cocopogo · 29/03/2021 09:18

On the news, Boris says he wants to kick start fitness and exercise in England today. He says children should be doing an hour a day of exercise whilst adults should be doing 150 minutes
Who has two and half hours spare to exercise a day? Apart from that prat with his hired help.

YANBU - you don’t have 150 mins spare a day to exercise
YABU - you exercise for at least 150 mins a day and I’m being lazy and can’t prioritise!

OP posts:

Veryverycalmnow · 29/03/2021 11:44

@whetherpigshavewings

It's easiest with young children, you have all day!

you can do some from home
you can put them in a buggy and run for 30 minutes
(you can do longer, but it gets boring for them)

No one puts their life on hold because they have a toddler. You can chose to, but why would you.

Not all children are the same- some demand more attention than others. Some would be screaming the whole time being pushed fast, others would love it. Parents also have different physical situations. If you're full of aches and pains, birth injuries, fatigue, slightly overweight, this can all make the idea of running along with the buggy seem like a horrible idea. Well done for finding it so easy to exercise with young children but not everyone is ready for that.

BikeRunSki · 29/03/2021 11:45

I aim for 3 x 30 min runs a week, and a couple of 1-2 hr walks a week. I have some working days where I barely leave my desk, and some where I walk 5-10 miles. Motivating the dc is harder. Last summer we were walking an hour every day, but the cold, wet winter reduced that significantly!

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 29/03/2021 11:57

When DS was little I used to find that the best way to indoor exercise was to put music on and dance.

I haven't been doing enough exercise since hay fever season started again. During winter I was walking a lot at night time as the pavements were too busy for my liking during the day.

perenniallymessy · 29/03/2021 12:00

Yes the advice is 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. That should be achievable for many people, but not for all.

Until we start to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists in this country we'll struggle to get people to do more day to day activity. DS and I walk/scoot to school, it's one mile each way. Takes us just over 20 minutes, but a good few minutes of that is just waiting to cross busy roads where there are no pedestrian crossings without going well out of our way. I'm not surprised so many people drive everywhere when walking and cycling can feel really quite unsafe.

Getting more incidental exercise into people's lives would get them moving so much more as lots of people are realistically never going to choose to go to the gym or do a workout. Updating school sports too so there's a focus on movement and fun rather than just playing the same couple of sports on repeat might help too- I was put off exercise for years as I was so crap at PE!

redcandlelight · 29/03/2021 12:07

it's per week. that's 20min a day.
it's very doable.
and honestly is shocking that many people don't get even this minimal amount.
it's not about running a marathon or climb mount everest.

whetherpigshavewings · 29/03/2021 12:53

Well done for finding it so easy to exercise with young children but not everyone is ready for that.

It's less that it's "easy" that it's about priorities.

Put it another way: you find the time to cook, the do chores, to take care of other siblings. You find the time to go on social medial, to watch tv.

Some children genuinely do not walk (or are pushed in a buggy) anywhere. The are driven and in a car seat at all time. It's a choice.

Fitting 2 hours of full on exercise a day is tricky. 30 minutes 5 days a week is completely possible.

littlepattilou · 29/03/2021 12:56

150 minutes a DAY?! Even if I DID have that amount of time, wouldn't be/couldn't be arsed to do it. Not a chance.

yeOldeTrout · 29/03/2021 13:02

I'm going to hit about 180 minutes today.
Not truly a huge amount.

I could rarely do that when I had babies. But pretty sure I still hit 120 minutes/day. Just walking to & from school, toddler group or shops.

whetherpigshavewings · 29/03/2021 13:04

If you include walking and getting off your sofa, it's nothing for any normal adult without health issue.

It's pretty tragic if people barely manage 2 hours of not sitting down or pottering around.

Thatwentbadly · 29/03/2021 13:10

@whetherpigshavewings

It's easiest with young children, you have all day!

you can do some from home
you can put them in a buggy and run for 30 minutes
(you can do longer, but it gets boring for them)

No one puts their life on hold because they have a toddler. You can chose to, but why would you.

I had a baby who screamed the whole time she was in a buggy. You can’t run with a baby under 6 months old and even then you need a running buggy.

Thatwentbadly · 29/03/2021 13:13

@whetherpigshavewings

Well done for finding it so easy to exercise with young children but not everyone is ready for that.

It's less that it's "easy" that it's about priorities.

Put it another way: you find the time to cook, the do chores, to take care of other siblings. You find the time to go on social medial, to watch tv.

Some children genuinely do not walk (or are pushed in a buggy) anywhere. The are driven and in a car seat at all time. It's a choice.

Fitting 2 hours of full on exercise a day is tricky. 30 minutes 5 days a week is completely possible.

I go on social media and watch tv when I’m breast feeding my youngest.

Which one on your list shall I stop doing to exercise? Looking after my 4 year old, feeding my children?

whetherpigshavewings · 29/03/2021 13:18

I am not starting an argument. Some people find excuses, other people find time.

When they are little, and not mobile, there are no reason you can't do a 30 minutes session.

When they are older, they can nap in a buggy.

There are dozens of other ways to organise yourself.

Many parents have to manage and do it. If you don't want to, it's a perfectly valid choice, but it's a choice. You are the one choosing how you spend your time 🤷

Same4Walls · 29/03/2021 13:23

When they are older, they can nap in a buggy.

Sorry just had to pick up on this, it genuinely made me laugh aloud. You had a biddable child who napped for ages in a pushchair didn't you.

ExConstance · 29/03/2021 13:23

I just get up half an hour earlier and go for a run or do some yoga. Dog has two mega walks a week 9 plus all the other short ones)so I think that is me done.

user20211 · 29/03/2021 13:25

Almost impossible with small children.

I have a 3yo and 2yo. The only time I can workout is in the evening when they're in bed but gyms have been closed for the best part of a year now, not to mention I'm absolutely exhausted at the end of the day.

I stay active in the day though - take DC out, walk the dog etc.

littlepattilou · 29/03/2021 13:27

@whetherpigshavewings

I am not starting an argument. Some people find excuses, other people find time.

When they are little, and not mobile, there are no reason you can't do a 30 minutes session.

When they are older, they can nap in a buggy.

There are dozens of other ways to organise yourself.

Many parents have to manage and do it. If you don't want to, it's a perfectly valid choice, but it's a choice. You are the one choosing how you spend your time 🤷

I'm not 'finding excuses' I simply cannot be arsed.

Nice, condescending post by the way.

Dentistlakes · 29/03/2021 13:28

YANBU. I can manage that at the weekend but not during the week. I suppose it depends what he means by exercise. If he’s including walking in that then I may get close, but certainly not if he doesn’t.

roundturnandtwohalfhitches · 29/03/2021 13:31

I exercise every day. Usually swimming and during lockdown 45 minutes of cardio with weights for 5/7. 2 days off I do long walks. It's all the faffing of going to the gym, or even the changing and showering and changing at home that takes too much time. So an hours proper exercise usually takes another 30 minutes at least.
I can understand why people don't have the time when the kids are wee or you work really long hours.
I'm lucky I can do it now but when DC were smaller there never seemed enough hours in the day to get anything done. I regard it as a luxury to have the time.

whetherpigshavewings · 29/03/2021 13:31

@Same4Walls

When they are older, they can nap in a buggy.

Sorry just had to pick up on this, it genuinely made me laugh aloud. You had a biddable child who napped for ages in a pushchair didn't you.

what I find amusing is how people always find excuses.

Some mums have to juggle studying, working full time, doing all sorts and they make it work. If you really want to exercise because it's awful for your mental health to do nothing, you do it.

There's always time to go shopping and do nothing with a child in a pushchair, but suddenly exercise is different?

There are (currently on pause) "buggy groups" in my local parks where groups of mums exercise with a PT, whilst keeping on eye on their kids.

It's easy to organise yourself based on your life and your own children. Shame for some people it's easier to find excuses.

If you can't be arsed, you can't be arsed, no one cares! It's the endless list of excuses which is cringey.

Dentistlakes · 29/03/2021 13:33

If it’s per week and not per day then that’s completely achievable. The kids easily hit 1h per day when they’re in school and sport is happening. It was an effort during lockdown though.

Same4Walls · 29/03/2021 13:38

what I find amusing is how people always find excuses.

But when the alternative is to strap a child into a buggy that screams blue murder because he wants to not be in the buggy but he cannot yet walk and he also hates the sling I'm not sure it is an excuse.

Surely it's just sensible parenting to not inflict that level of distress on your child just so you can go for a buggy run? Eome children may well have no problem with that arrangement but it's pretty sjort sighted to presume those not able to do the same are making excuses.

Sugarandteaandmum · 29/03/2021 13:39

You say it's choices, but you then say it's excuses, as though there really is only one good choice, @whetherpigshavewings. Sometimes you have to prioritise responsibilities you've taken on, even if it's at the detriment of your own wellbeing. We all have different levels of responsibility, different capacity to juggle, and different thresholds for how much self denial we can personally take.

I think what irks me, and other posters, is you're framing it as laziness vs organisation, self care, self discipline. I would fucking love an hour a day to exercise. But I prioritise my children needing me and my ability to do my job well, and sometimes the thing that gets put on the back burner is me going for a run.

whetherpigshavewings · 29/03/2021 14:04

I guess it's a reaction of being called, time and time again "lucky" when the reality is that for some of us it takes time and a lot of efforts.

As all kids are different, and change constantly, you adapt all the time. But the "lucky" comment gets old, when it's just a question of choice.

But it's MN, if I mention a "run" I get dozen of excuses why you can't go for a run. If I mention "home exercise" I get a dozen more excuses.. I never said one solution fitted all and I am not your PT. if you want to exercise you can, up to you to organise yourself depending on your lifestyle and own children.

Thatwentbadly · 29/03/2021 14:05

@whetherpigshavewings

I am not starting an argument. Some people find excuses, other people find time.

When they are little, and not mobile, there are no reason you can't do a 30 minutes session.

When they are older, they can nap in a buggy.

There are dozens of other ways to organise yourself.

Many parents have to manage and do it. If you don't want to, it's a perfectly valid choice, but it's a choice. You are the one choosing how you spend your time 🤷

Honestly some advice would be good. My 1 year old won’t nap in the buggy, she has only recently accepted going in one. Some days I’ve been able to exercise while she is napping in the bed but it’s been only time I’ve been able to home school my 4 year of and do cleaning which requires cleaning products. On a night she will only sleep when being held. I often go to bed with her as it’s the only way I can get 8 hours sleep as she breast feeds multiple times a night. I’ve tried exercise video when the toddler is around but she wants to held the whole time. We don’t have any childcare or family support. Please tell me how I can fit in exercise because other than the school run which is at the pace of a 4 year old and walking to the park I don’t get to do enough.

PerspicaciousGreen · 29/03/2021 14:06

I'm surprised at the number of people who think walking to the shops is "exercise". If walking is exercise, I get way more than my quota! But that's not exercise, that's just life, isn't it? Surely "moderate exercise" means being a little bit puffed out? An amble with my toddler is hardly the same thing. Who (who regularly does this, not if you're super unfit to start with) gets genuine exercise walking down the road?

I must say, I know some people find exercising very beneficial for their mental health. I didn't particularly. So the evenings where I would go for a run last summer, I got no time to relax and wind down. Good for you if your gym session is your "me time", but it's just another chore for me.

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