Unfit at 44 - where to start?

[Cupcake00]

Exactly that really.
I'm a single mum and a nurse. Life has been busy since becoming a single parent 11 years ago. I have done some running/zumba in my time. However, for the last 6 years, I have done nothing. Mainly because of time but also feeling exhausted. Walking the dog and house work is the nearest to any form of exercise.
Not sure if it's age or the lack of exercise, I ache. I'm tired. I ache (I really do).
I see so many people going to the gym or for a run. It's not so much the motivation now, it's the worry of just hurting more than I do now.
Anyone gone from 0 exercise to feeling fit?
Where do I start. Needing some motivational advice.

A tip if you are feeling achy - it might not be menopause. My gyno checked my Vit D levels and they were really, really low. Took supplements to bring the level up, and aches have mostly disappeared.

I’d do weight training. Ideal exercise for functional fitness and enjoyable. Book a few sessions with a PT for advice. It’s brilliant.

Can you walk to work? Or at least part of the way?

I had awful aches all the time and was peri. HRT cleared them up in less than a week. Without the aches I felt more able to start a decent exercise regime

During the first lockdown (anyone remember that far back?)at the age of 46, I realised I couldn't walk up a 200m hill
So I did C25K, yoga with Adrienne on the rest days, and some knee physio exercises (NHS Scotland website) to build my flexibility and strength.

Changed my life. Mentally, not just physically. I'm so much healthier now

I know it's hard to fit into a busy life, but you are worth that investment

Aside from an exercise routine, you can just ramp up what you're already doing. You could run around with your dog a bit, get your heart going. If there's a hill nearby choose that for a walk & run up it, even just for 30 seconds. Same with housework - do it more vigorously. Run up the stairs instead of walking. Take the stairs at work and do the same. It all helps & makes you ready to do more - though definitely look into the aching too. That must be really offputting.

Depending on your Christmas shifts OP, could you look into whether any of the gym near you are offering free/ discounted passes? Two near me are offering free day passes for people to try out the facilities for a day, one is doing a discount rate just for the Christmas period (up to New Year). Both are presumably to entice people in before the NY resolutions kick in but might be useful for you to either decide whether you'd like to join a gym, or just give you a bit of a kick start with your own routine!

Some gyms have kids facilities too if you wanted to involve your DC - clubs/ classes/ gym sessions specifically for kids - or swimming sessions which you could all go to? One of the gyms doing offers is our local council one, two are private but they all have pools, which is mainly why I'd join - the DC love swimming and it would be nice to have a pool we can go to regularly. One of the private ones has a lovely pool but I don't think we'll be joining, sadly unless I win the lottery in the meantime

Other than that, a lot of the gyms are also offering online classes if you'd find that more useful - I know it's more expensive than using YouTube/ DVDs but if it would help your motivation to have some accountability, it might be worth it?