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.

Well bully for you. You can do it because you have children old enough to be left alone. Think about a single parent with two children under 5, like I was. How would they manage it on top of working?

My AIBU is finding it annoying when people tell me they don’t have time to do any exercise.

Who cares? They can't fit it in because of other things they do which they don't want to stop. You may think that those other things should be stopped in order to make time for exercise, they clearly don't.

When I was a single mum working full time with children who still woke in the night and one who regularly woke for the day at 4.30am and didn’t sleep until 10pm (adhd) I would have said I didn’t have time. I mean I guess I did have time, but it would have been hard to use that time when I had young children who couldn’t be left alone and neighbours who complained enough about us just walking around the house normally let alone trying to do exercise at either 5am or 10pm at night. Plus I was exhausted.

Unfair response.
Alot of people do exercise in a different format, running after children,brisk walking as some examples.
I'm glad OPs schedule works well for her

You do you, OP. Stop being so judgmental about the rest of us.

For the record I am disabled and running would actually be risky for me, but I try to walk four miles a day. This takes me 90 minutes.

OP why do people start threads and not prioritise responding to people??? I can't understand it

I run 4 or 5 times a week and work ft, it became infinitely easier when my DC were secondary age and could be left on their own.

Some people might be making excuses, some might prioritise other stuff and some might not have time/energy. I have a friend who has 4 very young children and she runs at 10pm, but that wouldn't work for everyone.

She doesnt have TIME!!!!!!!!!!!! Shes WAY too busy.

Well done i guess?

Technically I have the time, but by the time my baby has gone to bed I'm too shattered to do anything other than veg out on the sofa and watch emmerdale. Maybe that will change once the weather is nicer and it's less dark.

I imagine many parents are in the same boat. Free time is precious and we want to use it in a way we will enjoy.

I’m a single mum to two young dc so exercising is out of the picture. Having said that, I watch what I eat so pregnancy weight fell off both times and I’ve remained slim.
You’re BU to even care if people exercise or not. I couldn’t care less.

If anyone’s child can run fast enough to burn as many calories as a sustained 30 min run, cycle or exercise class, I’m impressed.

I get what you mean (I find it weird when people say the same thing about housework, like basic cleanliness is some kind of OCD)

but…. The reality is some people are busier than you, and many people aren’t prioritising it.
We all remember what it was like with little kids. It’s not always about whether you can technically fit it in, but about maybe wanting to prioritise spare time with them.

i can give you an example as I don’t think I have time to exercise right now.

3 days a week I am up at 6, leave the house at 7am for work and return at 7pm. I am too tired to exercise after this.

2 days a week I work from home. In the mornings I like to use the time to help my primary aged children get ready for school and drop them off, then in the evening I am able to take them to their clubs, make them dinner and help with homework which I like. I put them to bed and go to bed myself between 8-9pm

weekends we often have days out, but without them they do 2 activities each anyway that i like to watch. I often do an exercise class one or both days on the weekends, but also often can’t be bothered

now the obvious answer people give when faced with someone like me saying they don’t have time is to find time around what I’ve described. Why don’t you get up an hour earlier? Why don’t you exercise at 9pm?

but that’s a simplistic answer because the issue isn’t people being unable to schedule - it’s that they have limited free time and aren’t currently prioritising exercise into it.

the little snatches of time you think you can find in their schedule doesn’t work for them for various reasons.

i had December off work and lived the life of a sahp- I went to a exercise class everyday- it was super easy as I was refreshed energetic and had nothing else to do.

in fact, It’s super annoying when people challenge those who say they don’t have time by demanding their schedules and finding solutions 😂

Perhaps they don't need to 'exercise'. My father has never exercised, never been overweight and is a fit and mobile 88 year old. He's always been busy in his garden, walks to collect his paper every day and did a manual job. Not everyone feels the need to exercise.

4 miles really isn't that far and the recommendation for physical activity is 150 minutes per week. Are you sure you can't find the time for another run or go a little further on the couple you do manage?

I get what you're saying @Hollyandivygoout . Its not that you're annoyed people don't make time to exercise, its that those people make it sound like 'You've got soo much time on your hands & we are the busy ones', rather than just be honest and say, 'i'd find that difficult' or 'id love to but just too tired'. Everybody IS busy, we just prioritise things differently.
Personal example, DH runs 2 businesses quite fullon and travels a lot, he works very long hrs BUT his guilty please is Eastenders'. He will always squeeze it in for a wind down or record it and watch it on a Sunday. Quite often when having mundane conversation with friends, DH will make reference to something funny in Estenders and they've said things like, 'You must have time on your hands', ;I'm much too busy'. These people have 9-5 jobs, kids all grown up/left home. Socialise every week and spend hrs on the phone. A simple 'We don't find it interesting' will suffice. Its a poor attempt to sound superior rather than show any perceived weakness.

Some days/weeks, I genuinely do not have time. My DP is away a lot for work, including weekends. I have a difficult 2 year old (sleep-wise) who sometimes doesn't settle until 10pm after battling for 2-3 hours. By that point, I truly am exhausted.

I wake up, get kids ready, nursery drop off, school drop off, use my lunch break at 3pm to pick DS up from school, make him a sandwich, return back to work on my laptop with him at the table or playing, pick DD up from nursery at 5.45pm. By the time we're home, kids fed, kitchen cleaned up, it's around 7pm. Then we begin with the bath/bed routine.

On days where DP is home and can do school pick-up, I'll pick up a lunch time class at the gym and use my break for that, or I'll do a YouTube workout, but honestly sometimes, I prioritise giving myself a break and sitting down at the dining room table to eat my food.

I try my best, but at the moment whilst DC are so small and dependent on me, I have very little "me" time and sometimes when I do get some time to myself, I choose to wash my hair or just sit with a book for 30 minutes instead of exhausting myself further.

I have absolutely no excuse. I am retired , no young children / caring responsibilities. I live near a park so running would be free. I walk the dogs and we have no car so I walk to most places I go on a regular basis. I used to do pilates and am looking for a local class. It's not cardio vascular type exercise.

No excuse. I don't enjoy eg running & simply can't be arsed.

I have a young baby who is exclusively breastfed - contact naps only - and we co-sleep. DP works full time.

My exercise is walking with baby in pram/sling - not sure if that meets OP’s standards 😂

Oh and breastfeeding seems to burn energy like nobody’s business!

I guess almost full marks for froth stirring. A couple deducted because I'm not convinced you're as clever or funny as you think you are but whatever.

Different people, different lifestyle, priorities. Needs; but also lack of discipline in many.

I do yoga and meditation every day as it helps me cope with everything else, feel more relaxed.

@Hollyandivygoout this is either a goady post or you are very narrow-minded and unable to empathise with the multitude of reasons someone may find it difficult to exercise.

when you get enough gold stars you'll qualify for a knee replacement 😂

As someone who does no exercise, I can tell you it's because I don't prioritise it and I'd rather be doing 12000 other things instead.

Even if I had nothing to do, I'd choose rewatching something on Netflix over exercise.

When people say they're too busy, they either don't want to or they're too tired.

I work 18 hours most days, I'm too physically and mentally tired to push myself any more.

But I do feel like people who spend as much time exercising and/or looking after their appearance as you, are quite selfish. You're putting that time into you over someone else.

Why are you so invested in other people's excerise schedules and/or their reasons for not doing it?
I find it tedious when people harp on about how they 'force' themselves even when they can't be arsed or try and validate their existence by sneering at people who don't prioritise the same things they do, because they believe their choice is the only right one and anyone who doesn't do it their way is falling short of some sort of standard. But ultimately it doesn't impact me in any way if they choose to live their lives differently to me.
If people say they don't have time to exercise then how does that really affect you? What impact does it have?
I can't be arsed and don't enjoy it among other reasons - does that make you feel validated and that you're a better person than me? You might well be, or you might not be, but so what? What effect would it have on you if I could be arsed and enjoyed it and did it 8 times a week?