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Original poster

What sport or fitness did your mum do?

133 replies

lljkk · 05/08/2023 16:26

My mother was born in the 1940s. When I was a child (1970s), my mother regularly did ... swimming, tennis, jogging, cycling, softball, horse-riding, aerobics, yoga, walks. + random other fitness or sport.

My dad's mom didn't do sport, my other grandmother (short person!, born 1900s) used to coach basketball as an adult, and rode horses as a youngster. I'm not aware she did any other sport, though.

Did your mum do any fitness or sport?

OP posts:
IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 05/08/2023 17:16

My mum, also born 1940s, used to swim and play tennis when I was a child, and a bit of hill walking. She'd had a pony as a child. Her mother was a ballet teacher, and her father was a cricketer and cyclist. I know very little about my paternal grandparents.

My father in law was a very good amateur cricketer (was offered a pro contract) and club runner. I'm not sure my mother in law has exercised formally since she left school.

IHeartGeneHunt · 05/08/2023 17:18

She was a PE teacher so a lot. She did lots in her spare time too. Born in the 50s.

Thehonestybox · 05/08/2023 17:19

None

IsItThough · 05/08/2023 17:21

My mum did church hall yoga in 1970s/80s, after my dad died when she was late 40s she got really into walking (like massive hikes) and learned to swim. Carried on doing all that until about 5 years ago when she was 80. Auto-immune disease has stopped all that and she really misses it.

WinchSparkle80 · 05/08/2023 17:24

Mum was a ballerina and did loads of am dram, en pointe and doing the can can til I was about 10. She also helped with PE lessons whilst I was at primary and walked a lot. Now does v little.

I do nothing and need to dramatically fix it as mid 40s and the aches are starting and weight increasing!

Original poster
lljkk · 05/08/2023 17:24

I should edit to say that after my mother's marriage fell apart (in her 40s) she basically stopped everything but the yoga ... plus some walking. She adored yoga.

OP posts:
calmcoco · 05/08/2023 17:25

Bit of Green Goddess, not much else.

HuntingoftheSnark · 05/08/2023 17:27

Interesting thread! Mine was born in 1930 and I believe used to play tennis. She worked full time until she was early sixties, has been retired 30 years and still walks a couple of miles a day.

yikesanotherbooboo · 05/08/2023 17:27

My mum did no sport, she did some gardening and some dog walking but was mainly busy working ft, bringing up family , managing house and caring for her parents. She had been fairly sporty; golf, swimming, riding before marriage.DMil did no sport but was a busy person also. Both have lived to advanced old age.

drinkuptheezider · 05/08/2023 17:29

DM cycled to work until I was late teens. I'm not aware of anything since. spends her time watching horse racing on TV with her DH
DGM played tennis as a younger woman, cycled, she was keen to walk too and would kick a football about until her 80s 😁 she was great.
They didn't do 'classes', though. They couldn't afford that.

I do martial arts and a team sport, I'm a granny.

MissBPotter · 05/08/2023 17:30

Nothing at all. Was busy looking after us, the house and working but had no interest in exercising either really. As a younger person (before kids) was quite sporty, but I never saw her do more than maybe a bit of bat and ball on the beach with us for about 10 mins! Thinks those who exercise are a bit crazy 😜

Monkeylimas · 05/08/2023 17:30

Interesting thread. Born in the late 40s, nothing as a child but aerobics, weight training, walking and rowing as an adult. Still walks a lot now.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 05/08/2023 17:33

None except dog walking when we had a dog.

NancyPickford · 05/08/2023 17:34

Mine was born in 1918! And had me in 1968 when she was 50. She did no organised keep fit or any sport. Nothing. However, she walked everywhere as we had no car, and we lived in a very hilly town. She also worked (and walked to and from work) in shops, nursing homes, cafes and was very slim right up until she died in her 80s.

netbag · 05/08/2023 17:42

Worked full time nursing, then elsewhere NHS, so just time for dog walking and very occasional keep fit class (step l think). This was the 90s.

Grandmother the same; full time nursing/ward sister kept her active, with walks, no organised classes whatsoever. She used her free time for postgrad academic interests and charity work.

I exercise and/or run every day by contrast, including organised classes. I was very sporty as a child though, and also danced, and still do!

CMOTDibbler · 05/08/2023 17:49

My mum liked to swim, but until she retired that was mostly only in the school holidays, then she went very regularly. Otherwise it was just 'active travel' for her

mathanxiety · 05/08/2023 17:53

My mum will be 90 this year and still does daily post natal yoga exercises she was taught in the 1960s in a Dublin maternity hospital. Every morning sees her stretching and balancing for about 20 minutes. None of us knew it was yoga until the 1990s Smile

She has always been a brisk walker too.

mathanxiety · 05/08/2023 17:54

But she doesn't do Irish dancing any more - she taught us all as children.

Ventureintheslipstream · 05/08/2023 18:02

My parents were born in the late 1950s. They are really into fitness and always have been.

The fact I am not sporty has always been a disappointment to them (am not coordinated enough for team sports). I exercise very regularly now and am extremely active generally but it took me until my 30s to find what works for me and to see the other benefits of exercise aside from just keeping slim.... I now see quite a lot of the disordered 'earn your food' messages that I received during childhood for what they were. My tactic with my own children is just to let them see me exercise and to talk about the mental and physical benefits (being strong, not being stiff etc).

StopFeckingFaffing · 05/08/2023 18:06

Born 1947 and did a lot of swimming and hockey in her youth

She played in a local netball league when I was a child but stopped playing when she was in her mid 40s

In more recent years the only exercise she has done is walking but she does still walk at least a mile or two most days in her mid 70s

My Mum has been gradually shrinking in both height (osteoporosis) and width in recent years and is probably now in a healthy BMI range for first time in her adult life. She used to be a lot bigger and probably approx 1.5 - 2 stone overweight as long as I can remember (but she is one of those people who weigh a lot more than they look they should!)

TorrentiallyWretched · 05/08/2023 18:09

Zero, she was born in the 30s with a heart defect. Never been up to much physically, extremely intellectual woman who is as bright as a button in her late 80s.

heartofglass23 · 05/08/2023 18:11

I didn't realise exercise was a thing people did as routine until very recently. I partly blame this on my parents doing next to none.

From when I was a teen she'd go swimming at a country club but I think she went more for the sauna and jacuzzi than the swimming. Ie she only ever did the head above water breast stroke.

Other than that just going on the odd walk.

Dad dug for worms!

Cookerhood · 05/08/2023 18:15

Born in the late 1920s, I remember her playing badminton & tennis. She took up golf in her 50s & stopped about 5 years before she died. In fact she stopped doing anything, including walking, which lead to her decline :(
She was also a nurse so pounded the wards for many years.

LittleBrownJug · 05/08/2023 18:16

Smoking

MustBeThursday · 05/08/2023 18:16

My mom swam for the county as a teen. Then as single mom working full time she had some exercise videos.

My DGM on that side used to do keep fit and videos as well. My other DGM did loads - rambling for miles, line dancing, ballroom dancing, she's not able to do all that now but more recently she tried out tai chi, despite quite severe arthritis.