To not know where to squeeze in more exercise?

[squashedalmondcroissant]

Not really an AIBU as I probably do know in reality 😂 More looking for advice/recommendations etc!

I want to exercise more not just for the weight loss aspect but more for my own fitness and flexibility, I want to be strong, toned and healthy rather than wobbly and flabby. I want to be able to swim or run without gasping for breath and be able to move freely and 'functionally'. I've been watching a lot of exercise videos and following people giving workouts on Instagram and I find it all so inspiring, I really want to try them out but I'm just so knackered I don't have the energy to do it!

I don't drive so I walk to work, about 25 minutes each way at least 4 days a week depending on my shifts. I also walk the dog, probably 45 minutes a day again depending on work shifts. I have a fairly active job where I'm on my feet all day so on a busy day I can easily hit 20,000 steps, even on quiet days it's rare that I do less than 10,000. I walk/hike sometimes on my days off, maybe making my dog walks a bit longer or I try and roller skate if the weather is good. Obviously if I have to go to the shop or anything on days off I have to walk there too so I get quite a bit of exercise already but because of this I'm just so tired at the end of the day I don't want to do more exercise! I don't feel like I ever do a 'proper' weight bearing workout though, It's all just transporting myself from A to B!

I find it really hard to motivate myself to exercise first thing in the morning but if I'm too tired at the end of the day what do I do? Aibu to not know where else to squeeze it in? Do I have to just suck it up and make myself do it? Feel free to give me a kick up the backside, I need it!

Active travel walking IS weight bearing exercise.

You could aim for brisker pace walking on the commute.

Do you get 2 days off work each week?
Could you try to get a regular swimming session in on one of those off-work days?

Do you just slouch in front of tv when not commuting-dog-walking-working? Or are you busy cleaning, organising, tidying, life admin, cooking, kid care?

I would try to do a strength workout once a week, on one of your days off. Prioritise that, let it become an enjoyable habit, then build on it.

You could try Pilates to start - see Lottie Murphy on youtube. Or a park bootcamp, or PT, or another class. The main thing is to work all the major muscle groups. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/ (scroll down).

"but I'm just so knackered I don't have the energy to do it!"

This is the hardest part about forming a habit to do regular exercise, but you'll find that once you force yourself to make it part of your routine you'll have more energy.

The fact you do a good bit of unthinking exercise already shows that a lot of it is mindset.

You don't really think of your long walks etc as exercise and so you must do them without fuss whereas the stuff you've decided is "proper" exercise is daunting for you

You could add ankle weights on some of your walks?

I was going to suggest incorporating wrist/ankle weights for your dog walks.

@lljkk yes at the moment I'm getting at least 2, sometimes 3 as it's quiet at work. I'd love to go swimming regularly but there isn't a decent, affordable pool close by 😞 I should really push myself to go in the sea but it's go bloody cold!

I do almost all of the cooking and quite a bit of the food shopping as the supermarket is on my way home from work so it's easy. I don't do a lot of cleaning as dp is much more house proud than me so that's his area 😂 Life admin and all that is fairly negligible, we both do that and it doesn't take much time. We don't have kids! So yes I suppose I do veg on the sofa quite a bit 😬

@MsMartini I really should make the effort to at least do something on my days off. Takes the pressure off a bit, I think I have a tendency to think it has to be all or nothing so if I'm not doing it every day what's the point? Silly, I know!

According to my Fitbit I do end up either in the fat burning zone or cardio (if I'm running late 😁) when I do my walks so I suppose they are doing something.

Could you turn your walks back from work into a run/jog. Or dog walks - put on running stuff and jog part of route.
or you could buy a bike and cycle with the dog or to work?
you do a lot of exercise already so are probably fitter than you think.
would also think about adding stretch and strength if you are adding anything - yoga/Pilates/weights

Ban yourself from watching TV or checking your phone / laptop while sitting on sofa. You'll find loads of time magically appears to get something more useful done.

How unaffordable is the nearest pool ? Are fitness or stretching (yoga) classes equally unaffordable.

Can you nap?
Id have a nap after work and then exercise in the evening.
I often do 8pm. I sometimes do 8am but for me that’s so much harder.

Agree Lottie Murphy Pilates is good. Also look at Kim Saha who is a physio by background.

You can get wrist and ankle weights that strap on - they are like bean bags filled with sand. You could wear them whilst walking for extra burn?

You walk shit loads. But walking doesn't do anything toning wise.

Skip the hike in the weekend and do pilates instead. You can do it from home. Its easy. Its boring but it does wonders for toning your body

Walking is the best exercise as my grandfather used to say. He lived to 92.

if you want to do more start slowly, one day a week. Buy a kettlebell and do a 15 min kettlebell workout. They’re are tonnes online and videos on youtube. As you get fitter you can start doing it twice a week, then start do a 30 min workout and so on.

*there are 🤦🏻‍♀️

I find the only way I get regular exercises sessions of the type you seem to be thinking of, is to go to a class at the gym. When I was office working, I would go to the gym to do weights and classes on my way home from work.

During lockdown I did workouts with a small group of friends on a zoom call at an agreed time.
I’ve never been able to stick to home workouts on my own, I need external accountability.

I would never be able to strength train at the end of a day in which I’d done a lot of walking. I do think first thing in the morning is your best bet. You don’t need motivation, just discipline.

I've started doing YouTube workouts - there's lots that are just 10-15 minutes and you can then do multiple once you get into it. I walk a lot too and have found even fairly simple workouts that target other areas of the body are making a difference to how I feel.

@MagpiePi I think that's the problem with the accountability, it's too easy to put it off or do something else instead! I can't really afford the gym, I did try for a bit and I did like going but with mine and dp's work schedules it just didn't work, I couldn't go regularly enough for it to be worth the money. I also don't like exercising around other people as I get embarrassed and self conscious.

I think I do need to suck it up and just try to do it first thing. Get up earlier if need be. Maybe just once or twice a week on days of at first? I need motivation and discipline neither of which I'm particularly good at lol 😂

I have some weights and do some 10 minute strength workouts. I find they're pretty easy to fit in because even if I'm knackered, I just think "well it's only 10 mins"

End of the day for sure! Yes you might be knackered but the sofa won’t make you feel any mire rested and energised. A good workout will release endorphins - trust me, the hardest part will be starting/getting yourself there, and you will feel brilliant after.

You are doing brilliantly getting in so many steps but strength training is the only thing which will change your body: Caroline Girvan has lots of free training programmes with weights and bodyweight only on You Tube: I've been doing weights with her since end December my body has changed so much for the better, I've got muscles and am so much stronger than when I just ran, cycled and walked: Before I was skinny fat, but I'm solid and toned now: Doing workouts at home suits me as I don't have a gym nearby:

Find someone else who fancies a new class as well, and then you'll make each other go (and it's more fun, and becomes part of your socialising). I go to a boot camp class with a friend, and we have a good catch up on the way, and then chat in between being beasted! I also entered a sporting event with this same friend and another, and we used to try and get a training session in weekly.

Not what you want to hear but you need to give yourself a break too- you’re not exactly lounging about on the sofa and doing nothing all day!! steps don’t always tell the whole story, as someone who spends a lot of day running about for customers and lifting boxes a physically demanding job needs to be taken into account. Plus you walk to and from work and walk a dog? Just be careful you don’t push too hard x

I've just checked and yeah on an average day over the last month I've done 93 active minutes per day. So I'm not inactive I just need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight and I'm really struggling to cut my food down. I eat fairly healthily (I'm vegetarian, my dp is vegan), eat lots of fruit & veg, don't enjoy cake, biscuits etc. My main issue is portion control and alcohol. With the amount of activity I do fasting just won't work for me, I will end up grumpy and miserable with no energy.

So, more exercise seems the way forward to create that deficit without depriving myself although I know I could and should definitely cut down on the booze too 😂

It’s very important to focus on aerobic exercise, flexibility and resistance. The aerobic you can do by simply walking fast and getting out of breath. The flexibility and resistance will need effort. Kassandra yoga online, Caroline Givan and some bands or weights.

Exactly this. I’d never get any exercise done if I did it in the evening. If it’s possible, try to build it in first thing. I get up an hour early and it makes a big difference- obviously only viable if it fits with the rest of your life though.