People who are too busy to do exercise

[Hollyandivygoout]

I run about 4 miles, 4 times a week. I’m in a routine and force myself to do it even when I can’t be arsed. It takes me about 30-40 minutes each time I go for a run and I squeeze it in early morning, before dinner, just whenever I can really. I work full time and have 2DC who are admittedly at secondary school now, but this is something I’ve always done.
My AIBU is finding it annoying when people tell me they don’t have time to do any exercise. It’s like they’re so busy and important and I’ve got all the time in the world. I honestly don’t believe that the vast majority of people can’t squeeze in half an hour a few times a week.

Absolutely is for me. I would have to do exercise at 8pm and by that time I am ready for bed. I just don't want to. And I used to fit in 4 gym sessions a week and walks etc too

Sorry if im repeating I've not read the whole thread

It's not just 'having the time' for the 15-20min to run/exercize though is it, ... its the getting changed befor, the stretching pre and post, the shower after, my partners 20 min lunchtime run takes an hour out of his day

I go to the gym in the morning (can't run bad knees) ...for a half hour class I get up/loo/dressed/leave house(15 min) cycle down to gym (10 min) chain up bike, go in,take off overclothes/ stuff in locker(10min) get set up for class/chat (5 min) class (30 min) ,chat/leave the gym/unchained bike/cycle home/put away bike (25 min) I'll be sweaty and hair a mess (wouldnt everyday if not exercizing) so will need a shower/wash &dry hair (20-30min) ...2 hours ...And thas me being efficient... bag packed night befor clothes layer out in bathroom, bike in hallway by the front door

And sorry i don't meant to come accross as smug... my exercizeing is so I can eat more cake chocolate and biscuits and not have to buy new clothes

my partners 20 min lunchtime run takes an hour out of his day

I presume the shower he's taking is just the regular once a day shower though?
Taking 40 mins to stretch and shower for a 20 min run seems a poor return on the gains.

Now I'm working at an office with no shower. It is dark when I get up. It's dark when I get home. I live in a village with no street lights, and no pavements beyond the village centre. Little narrow country lanes. Running in the dark around here is very dangerous even with a head torch.

Obviously I don't know where you live, but I also live in a village and run a lot at night. In some ways I feel safer because I can see car lights. I have a good head torch (so I can see) and wear lots of reflective clothing (so I can be seen). I've never feared for my personal safety.

although running after dark is a luxury that only men really get so it didn't always work.

I have run in the dark for many years. I live in a safe area and have a good head torch. Many women do not feel in danger running at night.

It really isn't hard to imagine that there are people in the world who don't have a spare 40 minutes 3 times a week, or that those who do have a spare 40 minutes are too exhausted or too tethered to the house to go for a run/don't have the space to do a home workout/are working 40 hour weeks with 10 hours of commuting time and are too exhausted to do much beyond cook, eat, clean up and sleep!

Pre-kids I went to the gym 3x a week and swam every weekend. Since kids, I can't do that as I can no longer afford the gym membership and I don't have anyone who can watch the kids that regularly without paying a small fortune for childcare. If I do get 40 minutes to myself, it is soon swallowed up in housework or errands so if occasionally someone wants to sit down with a cuppa and a biscuit and scroll mumsnet for half an hour, who are you to judge?

I love running and until December was fitting in a run most days. From January I literally haven't had time. I have 3 jobs (an extra one got added in December), 2 kids, 2 dogs and while I could set my alarm to get up at 5am, I am too exhausted. Occasionally I jump on the treadmill once everything is done for the day, about 10:15pm, but I largely don't have the strength and if I'm not writing a report at that time, I will take the opportunity to sleep.

Some people do have busy lives and when sleep gets massively reduced, that needs to be prioritised where it can, over exercise. A couple of times I've thought about running when I take DC to an activity - plan being drop him off, then go for a run, then pick him up ... but again, last two times I've aimed to do that I've decided to have a nap in the car instead.

As someone who enjoys exercise I can tell you that there are periods in my life where I've been able to fit it in, which has been wonderful and I've been lucky, and periods like now when I literally can't.

I don't tend to share my exercise habit's with others. Very few people know I'm a runner, and currently a not running runner! So hopefully noone is judging me. I certainly don't see myself as 'so busy and important' and people that can exercise as 'having all the time in the world'.

You strike me as v judgemental and not very supportive...

Focus on your own life and don't worry what other people r doing. It's a shame to think some friends would react like you ...

I've always prioritised exercise, even when I was a lone parent and was commuting an hour and a half every day and when I was working and caring for my mother, though I guess I've had some flexibility in my jobs to be able to do that. I do find as I've got older though it is more difficult to rush from one thing to another, I need more downtime between activities.

The people who wind me up are those who repeatedly keep saying that they ought to exercise and never do. I've got a friend who each week says "I haven't been to the gym". I don't think she's been to the gym for 20 years, so I'm not particularly surprised she hasn't been in the last week, again! I used to try and encourage her, but I've given up.

I don't have the energy to do some exercise after a 12 hour shift. Good for you though. Why do you care whether somebody does or doesn't

I agree.

There are two excellent online trainers I'm aware of who have a lot of very short workouts that are not super challenging but effective:

• Lucy Wyndham Read (easy pilates type exercises)
• Livinleggings (yoga based stretches)

10-20 minutes, and free on YouTube

I really enjoy exercise (which came as a shock as I only started exercising properly in my late thirties) but I'm not so smug that I can't see that there are multiple barriers to exercises, particularly for women who may feel unsafe exercising outside - last time I went for a solo outdoor run some bloke stopped his car to call me a fat cunt so that was nice. 🤬

I say that I struggle to find the time to fit things in. Of course I could get up an hour earlier to go for a run - but I sleep badly (combination of a child that often wakes in the night, and peri-menopause insomnia) so I don't want to get up any earlier than I have to (and I'm not sure I could physically cope with even less sleep tbh). I could also go for a run the minute I finish work - but tbh I just want to sit and decompress for half an hour. I used to have a personal trainer, and we had this conversation once, he suggested that I could go to the gym to decompress, and I pointed out that some people find exercise a useful way to destress. Others, like me, don't. If I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed by work or life, the thought of adding yet another 'thing to be done' in to my schedule pushes me over the edge tbh.

It depends on your support at home. I've two young kids and I find it hard to squeeze a run in. I'm already up at 6:15am for work and it's dark so it wouldn't be safe going out at early or late (though it's starting to get brighter now). I do manage to get out 3 times a week but usually with some grumbling from my partner. It's hard going. I hate it but force myself. I can completely understand how it's hard to find the time and some people are too tired or can't be bothered which is fine because exercise sucks! 😂 YABU

Good for you but some people just don’t like exercise. For me I understand the value in exercise but it’s a chore for me, it makes me tired and grumpy and there’s many other things I’d rather do with my free time than exercise because I’d rather feel rested/ accomplished/ having enjoyed myself than sweaty, out of breath, tired, and hungry.

No he also showers in the morning , pre work... and this is in the office so I guess time is from Leaving desk to getting back to it, (going through the building to changing rooms, shower befor going back to office)

Surely if he’s choosing to have 2 showers within 5-6 hours of each other he can’t really complain about the time taken?

I don't do exercise calling it exercise like you do. But I don't drive and walk everywhere. Over the course of a week I walk many more miles then you run, again I just don't call it exercise it's my normal life.

Not having the time is the biggest excuse for not doing exercise. My sis spends hours yakking on the phone, she’s overweight from sitting down all day doing her very, important, job, that not just anyone can do 🙄 Of course she doesn’t have time to get on an exercise bike or run on a treadmill whilst doing her many hours of yakking. Fast walking works for me.

He/I've never complaining and he enjoys running (helps him de-stress) and how he choses to spend his lunch hour (unlike me just scroling on the internet!).... I'm just wanted to point out not being able to spare '15 min to exercise' itself isn't the whole time it takes out of your day (at least for us)

Single mothers of young children aside, I think when people say they don't have time for exercise what they mean is they don't have time for it on top of everything else in their lives that's of a higher priority to them. If some time suddenly opened up in their day, exercise might be next on their list. Everyone has different priorities and that's okay.

I bought a small treadmill as I was feeling so unfit. It's fantastic if you're unable to go for a run outside. I also bought a Garmin watch to track my fitness.
Have to say it's also helped my mental health. It's exercise you can do while watching the telly!

So let's get some context

How long have you been running this regularly?

What did you do before you started running apart from being lazy.

Excellent. I 've just come back from an hour at the pool.

Sounds like you have all the time in the world.

Time for a run 4 times a week and time to worry about everyone else

Have a day off OP 🙄

Very easy to say it's being lazy/a choice.

Its not always 'just 20/30/40' minutes. It's the time of exercise, getting changed and showering. For instance- i've got afro hair, I can't wash and do my hair in a quick 5 minute shower.

Yes, it can be done in the morning, but are you expecting a parent that's sleep deprived with a baby that's waking up 10 times a night to wake up an hour early to exercise? To miss more sleep, return, not have time to shower because lunches and other children need to get ready, or get self ready for work.

During the day, could be working. If not working might not be able to leave babies/children, they might take the opportunity to nap or get chores done as that is the only time to do it, otherwise they will be living in a tip.

Evenings- got to do dinner, get children ready for bed, etc. Sometimes it's too late and people are too exhausted and it might be the only time they get to sit down in peace.