How to get exercise into daily life

[squirrelnutkin23]

As someone who hates exercise I am making a conscious effort to do a bit more. I work part time and look after a toddler on my days off so life is pretty hectic. I make time to go to the gym once or twice a week but usually when it coincides with something else - like I'll go on the way back from shopping or something.

Occasionally I'll do a YouTube workout at home but I struggle more with getting myself psyched up for this.

If you exercise daily what does your routine look like? How do you fit it in around daily life/kids/chores?

I don't have DC, and I WFH
Basically I finish work, immediately change and exercise for 20-40 mins then shower. It's done then and is my kind of separation from work to home

Nike Run Club is great, fun positive coaching in your ear and it’s like having someone to go running with

When I had young kids, I went for a run before my partner went to work which was the easiest way to fit it in. I was lucky he didn’t leave for work til 8am though.

Today I went for a morning walk for half hour then late afternoon I walked briskly around and around the block until I hit 10,000 steps. I then did 10 mins of home work out (bridges, squats). I try to do this most days, I get up and move frequently. I go to the gym about 3 days a week but if I can’t go I just walk faster/more steps and sometimes with ankle weights on. Yesterday we went on a dog walk for an hour round a field/down the river. It’s better when it’s dry even if it’s cold. The gym is ok, I like to do Pilates and weights but I just try to move, move move all day as much as I can. I have an office job and kids, I just don’t really watch TV!

I used to go for a brisk 45 minute walk twice a day (live in a city with lots of hills).
I'd go mid morning and be back for lunch, then again straight after nap

I Parkrun on a Saturday morning. I am slow but I feel good for the rest of the day, and it's out of the way early.
I do an hour's karate on a Sunday night with my ds, brilliant for suppleness.
I usually manage another run on Wednesday lunchtime (or evening during the summer)
And I speed walk Waterloo to Fleet St & back every Thursday.

That adds up to 180 mins of strenuous exercise a week.

When my kids were young and I couldnt get out as much, I either got up before them and used a dvd with weights (pre YouTube) or exercised when I got in from work, whilst dinner was cooking.

You have to think of exercise as intrinsic as brushing your teeth and make the time for it. I use to tell myself that 30 mins out of my day was tiny but doing me so much good.

When my kids were little, I used to get off the train a few stops early and run home. Only works if you can keep your rucksack light though. I used to go in my running gear and change when I got there and then do the reverse on the way home. I don't have a laptop to carry.

Getting a bike was a game changer for me.

Before work and did cycle to work scheme, also cleared time to swim on a weekend. I had the same problem until (a) I made a very conscious effort to fit it in and (b) made everyone else fit in around my need to exercise. The exercise time slowly expanded as I got more determined to have time for me.

I like exercise and am motivated but I failed for a while to fit it in as I was putting everyone else first!

I just dont know how you get time to do this, 10000 steps is 5 miles that would take me 2 hours

Alternatively, a cargo bike? Or bike with a trailer? Ditch the car and go everywhere on that

Cycling to and from work. Not that far (6 miles in total) and I’m using a e bike.so not massively strenuous. But it is more exercise than I have done for years. Plus it’s really fun, love zooming around on the bike. I figure this is good enough for now….

But your 10k steps will include steps around the house etc. I haven’t done any actual exercise today and I’m on nearly 5000 just from pottering round the house and the supermarket.
i can easily do 15k steps if i walk to/from work and i always do at least a mile at lunchtime unless it’s chucking it down.
3 miles in an hour should be achievable for most people.

Walk or cycle everywhere that you can. Go for a fast hilly walk in your lunch break. Once toddler gets a bit bigger, they can cycle whilst you run.

YouTube workouts worked for me when my DC were young. My friend got me into it, she did a 20 minute one on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I copied her.

I can only just about do 3 miles in an hour but then I am extremely sweaty, quite dizzy and overwhelmed, I need a shower straight after, my hair is dripping

Theres no way I get 5k steps from being at home and in a supermarket

My current routine is two runs a week, one on a Sunday morning, one on a weekday morning and start work late. Then I walk wherever I can in between. Sometimes it's a snatched ten minutes round the block on my lunch break, other times I'll walk with purpose, for example to the library which is about 30 minutes there so an hour in total. It's harder at this time of year as I like to exercise outdoors but it isn't safe in the dark.

The perceived wisdom at present is not that we need intensive exercise every day. What we require is 150 minutes a week at 70% - 80% our maximum HR to maintain health . Dependent on your fitness that could be brisk walking, running , swimming..and as you get fitter it will need to be a little more intensive to stay at 70% - 80% MHR

It also helps to do weight training 3 times a week for at least 30mins each session ..gradually building strength and this keeps your body young and looking good.

After that keep moving. An hour even everyday in the gym does not counter a sedentary lifestyle. Also go outdoors esp in the morning . If you have a seated job get up every hour and stretch. Youtube is full of videos on this. There are even seated stetches. One can do these for 2 minutes at a time

Now that might seem to some like its not alot ...but if you start small and maybe do it bite size it all adds up. Plus you need to start gradually and build exercise into your routine just like brushing your teeth. It important to enjoy the exercise and may play badminton or go to a dance class instead of gym. The only good exercise is exercise you actually do regularly.

Exercise with your toddler, put them in a back pack and walk or in a buggy and run, use them as a weight for squats and bridges. Once they can use balance bike or scooter run with them. This has the added advantage that they get to see exercise as a normal part of daily life.

You mentioned not liking it, in which case I'd say social groups doing exercise if you can find any. Or try and get one going. Look for ones that aren't competitive and pushy about performance

Key is that it's organised and regular, and maybe even including a social aspect before or after. The Idea is you end up going to see and chat to people, and that's what makes it fun.

Almost everything I do exercise wise has a social element, how much varies but it's there and important. Another angle is, is there anything you like to do that a certain form of exercise will make you better at it? Having exercise support a fun thing is another approach. If you look at every kind of sports star, the competitions we see are the motivation for all the training we don't see. Same thing really

Outside of the gym, it’s cycling/walking rather than driving when I can and doing things like taking the stairs rather than escalators.

Active travel for me. I cycle or walk any journey within 3 miles.

6.15 am HIIT Class 3 times a week. Obviously only feasible with young children if you have someone else at home.

@soupfiend i already went on one walk earlier so I didn’t need to do 10k steps in one go. Also yes my watch had counted all my steps when I had been walking around the house all day. I try to get up and move frequently. The walk in the evening I was sweating and hot but also cold at the same time - layers are key!