How do you factor exercise into your life?

[flumpsfortea]

Predictably dull but my New Year’s resolution is to really try and make time to exercise next year. I’m approaching 40 and feel the need to try and look after myself a little better and future proof my body! The problem is I hate exercise, I always have. And I’m busy with work, kids etc so I just don’t have the time and/or motivation. I do walk a fair bit. I take my dog each day and also try and walk on my lunch break. But that’s it.
At home I have a treadmill and some dumb bells. If I aim to do half an hour on the treadmill everyday and some weights a few times a week would that be a good starting point? I have no clue where to begin or if this would even be worthwhile but I feel like I have to do something. Also have some resistance bands.

I think you need to focus on your ‘why’ more than ‘how’.
why do you want to incorporate more exercise? What do you want to gain in the long run? What exercise will help you in achieving that?
you mention future proofing your body, I’m in my early 40s so similar, and my priority is making sure my body is healthy as it ages so I can keep active and enjoying life to the full. I am not after that bikini body (that’s loooong gone) or wanting to be strong so no need to pick up the weights. Running I hate and can’t really see myself doing it when I’m 80+ as it is actually quite hard on the legs and knees. I know I want good heart health and to keep flexible as I age (I don’t want stiff joints!) so the best exercises for me are yoga, pilates, swimming and walking. So I signed up to a gym that offers these classes at suitable times, and has a pool and I just do that. I also do aqua aerobics once a week. Having a good reason why makes it easier to stick to a routine then just a random “I need to exercise more” without a reason and plan

It’s a truism, but find something you enjoy. Exercise for the sake of it is boring as hell to many people, which is why they don’t do it.

If you like walking, increase the speed, the amount of time, the frequency, the distance, the terrain - try Nordic walking, or hill/fells walks. Buy some weights to wear while you do your current walks. Join a walking group.

Take up roller or ice skating. Football, netball, tennis, padel, cricket. Trampolining. Cycling - a group near me do fun, off-road, illuminated rides which look great (I can’t make the times they go sadly). Try a couple of parkruns or outdoor boot camps. Go swimming, or even aqua aerobics. Yoga. Pilates. Clubbercise. Dance. Kayaking/canoeing/rowing/paddleboarding.

I’ve had a go at most of those, some stuck, some didn’t, but at 70 I’m still exercising, which in my terms is doing physically active stuff I enjoy, almost every day.

Consistency is key and “bang for you buck” is resistance training. The benefits are well documented. Start small and simple to develop the habit of just doing it and build from there. Make it more enjoyable by listening to your favourite music or podcast. For me, first thing is best as I get it done before “life” gets in the way.

In addition to resistance training, sprinkle bits throughout the day. When walking, carry extra weight (rucksack is easiest option). Use the car less and walk/cycle to local shops. Take the stairs over escalators. Put shoes and socks on standing up.

I started cycling to work on a Lime bike. I started doing Lucy Wyndham Read videos on YouTube about 14 months ago. I tried to increase my step count. I too read Atomic Habits. And then kept going and going.

I have exercised every day since 7 March. Some days it’s just a 3min video other days it’s cycling to and from work (5k), 10k steps and 30 mins tabata workout. Variety is massively important for me - mixing calisthenics, yoga, dance, weights, now trying jeffing too. And daily activity creates momentum too. Little and often is better than boom and bust.

Find something you like though. Forcing yourself to exercise AND forcing yourself to do something you don’t even like is a recipe for running out of willpower very quickly.

Find something you like. I don't like running, like pp have also done half marathons so am reasonably good at it, still don't like it. But I do like cardio in group fitness classes, and lifting heavy weights. There are so many options nowadays, you should be able to find an activity you actually enjoy, so you don't need to force yourself to exercise.

Do you use Instagram? I follow Sally Gunnell on there, she posts some really simple dumbell workouts or easy exercises to do at home.

You could also find a PT to do a few sessions with?

Definitely pick up those dumbbells and/or body weight exercises (eg planks and push ups). Strength training is really important!!

Place marking ❤️ My NYR too

The good news is you have a lot of excellent equipment to get started with. I'm impressed that a non-exerciser has somehow acquired a treadmill given how expensive they are. Between the treadmill, the weights and the bands you have cardio, resistance and stretching all covered.

I would look online and find a set routine that you stick to. Alternate between weights and treadmill daily. Start small if you have no experience, you'll end up lifting heavier and running for longer naturally. None of this has to be complicated. On your weights days you can add sit-ups, crunches, press-ups etc. The addiction sets in when you realise that you can do something easily that you once thought was impossible.

The other good news about exercising at home is that you can fit it into your life whenever's most convenient - it's much, much easier than booking classes, driving to the gym etc. I work from home and find that an exercise session is ideal to break up my working day.

(I'm a runner and while I technically agree with the PP that treadmills are much more boring than running outside, they are certainly easier for beginners in the current horrific weather.)

Yet more good news about exercising from home is that you can make it more bearable with your own entertainment. Stick your favourite tunes on loud. Put your favourite series on in front of the treadmill. And you don't have to wait for anyone to use the equipment or worry what they're thinking of you.

Sorry can I ask what's mobility exercise?

@HAPPILYMARRIEDSINCE2012

Mobility exercises focus on creating and maintaining mobility / flexibility - so for me, I started off not being able to stand up from sitting on the floor without using my hands and having to haul myself about. Now I’ve spent so long doing mobility focused exercises that I can sit down from standing and get back up without hands! It’s little things that keep your body mobile in older age, I’m only young now but won’t be forever and want to create and maintain enough mobility to help me!

Julia Reppel on YouTube is a great source of free mobility exercises and honestly hers are really good 😊

I exercise most days, I found that once I’d made myself do it for a couple of weeks, I started to feel uncomfortable if I let more than two days or so pass without exercising. My body feels sort of restless.

I will say that although I do run, it’s a bit grim and I don’t think it’s that enjoyable. I do it because it’s easy to do anywhere and it’s effective and I like the way I feel after, but I don’t enjoy it while doing it. I definitely am not one of those running obsessives who tell everyone how great it is. I can do a 10k but mentally anything further than that is a bust although physically I could do longer.

However I do really enjoy the stationary bike (mine is a Peloton) so that’s sort of my default exercise. I cycle outside in the spring and summer too. I enjoy weights too.

Working out from home makes it a lot easier to fit in as I can do a Peloton session while kids are around. My 3yo is happy to watch TV while I do a workout. Or I can fit in during lunch when WFH, after they are in bed, etc.

I have a treadmill and some weights just like you and make sure I'm on the treadmill every day, even if it's just to take me up to 10k steps before bed if I've not managed it during the day. I think it's a good 'bare-minimum' base line. The rest of the time, I might do a dance workout, go to the gym or stomp off on a walk. Something every day, even if it's just before bed after a long day.

I found things I love and finally after 41 years of life happily bound out of bed on both a Saturday and Sunday morning disgustingly early for a weekend when I don’t work weekends and don’t have young dc to go and exercise.
I also fit 2 further sessions in during the week and walk as much as I can every day.
Nothing groundbreaking but finding exercises I really do love make it easy to prioritise. I often also go with someone which doubles the enjoyment.
My dc are much older and I’m not longer required as much as I used to be.
When they were little I used to run on and off, mostly because it was easy to fit around when dh was about as I could just leave directly from my house whenever I had the opportunity. But I actually hated running so it was so easy to just say I wouldn’t go because it was rainy/hot/hilly/whatever so I didn’t bother more times than I did.

I go to a strength training class at 6.15 am 3 times a week.

I love exercise and I still struggle to fit it in. The only thing I don’t like at the moment is weight training in the gym but at almost 58
its a necessary evil.

is there NO exercise you enjoy? Is there a way you can make it more bearable - listening to an audio book or a podcast?

i do a high intensity weight training class at 9am on a Sunday morning. I work full time with 2 children and commute to London 4 days a week. This is the only time I can make it work. My gym has a pool and soft play so sometimes the kids come with my partner so they are not just waiting for me to come back. Works for us and took a lot of will power to get out to start with. Now I love it

Some of us just really hate exercise! I think ‘find something you enjoy’ isn’t always helpful advice - I suppose I might enjoy swimming in a tropical sea and admiring the pretty fish, but I can’t incorporate it into my everyday life, and I’ve been around long enough to have tried most practical things and know I dislike them all. What worked best for me was replacing my Tube commute by cycling, and I was fairly effortlessly fit for a few years, but I had a couple of near-misses and lost my nerve about cycling on the roads.

I try to think of it as a non-negotiable like cleaning my teeth or showering- doesn’t matter if I like it or not, it just has to be done as efficiently as possible. Home DVDs work best as they minimise the time I have to spend.

I’m in a running club- so the time and dates are already set- I just have to show up.
Commitment!

I really, really admire those who are able to exercise that early in the mornings. That time is hustle-time in my house, getting DC ready for school etc. I'd love to do an early workout before work and my gym is just a 10 minute drive from my house, 30 mins from my work. But with an 7.45 start at work, I've ruled it out until DC can get themselves reliably sorted in the mornings.

I hate exercise I've always been obese and just never found something that doesn't feel like torture so nothing has ever stuck. But in 2025 I've made some changes, first thing you need to do is find something you actually enjoy and want to do so you're less likely to make an excuse - mine is swimming, so I've joined a local health club with pool, sauna, spa facilities. It feels like a treat and I'm being active at the same time.

The second thing is to make it part of your regular routine. I go on a weeknight when my ds has his sport nearby, so I drop him off go for my swim and go back to pick him up, it fits perfectly in our routine during what was previously dead time for me. Another day I take a longer lunch and go then, I'm fortunate to have the flexibility to do this. I try to fit in one other visit around dp shifts and DC activities. DP's thing is the gym and he goes at 5am a few times a week, I'd never manage this but it work for him.

I want to step it up in the new year and do more but I need to make it work round the family.

I walk the
dog, do a pilates class once a week and have a vibration plate which I like. I find exercises to follow for that on youtube . Youre only supposed to go on that for 20 mins anyway .

I go 3/4 times a week depending, I work shifts so on my days off I take drop children at school then go straight to gym from there. Weekends I get up early and go while everyone is either asleep still or just waking up. I do make time to go as it's important to me.

I would challenge yourself in the new year to go 1x new form of exercise each week, plus one home workout video. That way you will be trying lots of different things and you might find something you actually enjoy a bit rather than feel like you have to endure. It's also achievable. After 8 weeks pick your favourite and stick to that. So swimming, gym class, weights at home, running outside, pilates or reformer, spin class etc

I walk about 15k steps most days (not this week with being off work though) and have 5kilo weights I use at home. This probably sounds very stupid but my routine with them is that when I get my pre-bed herbal tea I do three sets each of 12 squats, sit-ups, and arm exercises - so 36 of each in total - then I sit down and drink my drink. Non negotiable. It doesn’t take long and I am already in loungewear so I don’t need to put on particular clothes, and I do it with the telly on. Some days I do a Pilates or yoga video, and I like the Get Fit With Rick walking ones (but not his dancing videos) too.

I did couch to 5K a few years back then developed excruciating plantar fasciitis. I needed a lot of expensive physio after that and am too scared to run again now!