To not exercise

[Katywester]

I was reading another thread about a woman who didn't enjoy showering and the questions asking her 'don't you exercise' surprised me as if it was a given that everyone exercised!
Am I the minority mum of three full time work etc that just can't fit in exercise other than a quick dog walk every other day?

I have also seen my relatives decline and needing joint replacements well before retirement age and I’m always only 25 years behind them

My one concern is not women being honest that they don’t feel they have the time or the inclination, but a bit of a delusion that a few loads of laundry will keep you ticking over in old age. Being able to do laundry or basic housework is an ADL and you should be aiming to be able to still do this into your 80’s. It’s not an aspirational fitness measurement for a 40 year old woman. Is anyone actually walking more than a mile or so on a school run either, in all honesty, and does your dog not sniff around leisurely on the walk

I've checked and my school run walking is just over 5 miles a day.

I would love to do more exercise (not quite, I hate hate hate doing it, have never ever experienced the much loved endorphins people talk about but do recognize it is important) but I just can't see how/when it would happen.

Maybe when DC can both get themselves off to school I might get 20 mins!

100%. I saw MIL spend her last decade on the sofa because she was so unfit and unhealthy she couldn't even walk to the shops, let alone do any exercise. FIL, on the other hand, always got out and kept active, and although he's very arthritic, he still stays busy and is doing very well in his eighties.

People on here can be super nonchalant about exercise and going to the gym but they don't think about what lies ahead of them if they don't put the effort in now.

Yeah it got easier when mine are older but I found walking with kids was slow and not very energising. So as to not pop your bubble, half your school run is probably slower so you could mix up the bits where you have a chance to get faster? I am aware this might be patronising so I am sorry if that’s the case.

There are bits you can just incorporate into every day life to not cause too much inconvenience or more stress as small wins. Walking to shops not driving, parking further away, walking faster, doing the long way round. Running up stairs, not taking lifts, carrying more weight etc. making things more purposeful. If you have kids in prams that is prime opportunity for nap walking

I started out by going for a walk in the evenings in spring to enjoy the weather and found that it was such a nice way to decompress my day and it stopped becoming a chore and something I looked forward to. Then I got hooked on keep trying something small and new, so I got some small weights and held them when I walked. Then I was like ‘can I lift weights?’ And got myself some from Amazon and then I kept going and adding in small things.

I’m not ever going to be a professional athlete but it helped so much with stress too - I used to drink alcohol to decompress now I can’t think of anything less relaxing than having a wine fuzzy head and hangover. I no longer flop onto the sofa at the end of the day feeling burnt out

People on here can be super nonchalant about exercise and going to the gym but they don't think about what lies ahead of them if they don't put the effort in now.

I can attest to that. At 70 I still ski, ice skate, play tennis, swim, hike and do a hundred things in my very active retirement. Whereas most of my friends are inactive, with impaired mobility and all kinds of aches and pains.

I know I’m harping on about this, but the investment you make now will pay off as you get old.

It doesn’t have to be regular gym sessions and 5k running several times a week. Grab a few minutes here and there:

3 minutes jumping jacks or squats, or a 2-minute plank while you are waiting for the tea to brew.
a short yoga session while watching TV (Kassandra, Adrienne, Livinleggings etc - find one that you can relate to)
a Growingannanas 12 minute Tabata HIIT mini-workout before you hit the shower
7-15 minutes with the lovely Lucy Wyndham Red (her short glutes & thighs workout is great)
add weights to increase effectiveness - dumbbells on your shoulders when doing squats, or goblets squats with a heavier weight; when you are ready to challenge yourself, check out Caroline Girvan…
Above all, walk, walk, walk - walk as much as you can, preferably with a weight (ankle, vest), and take the stairs wherever possible, instead of the lift.

ETA…. It’s TABATA……… bloody autocorrect!

Growingannasnas is amazing. She has such a good selection of workouts and excellent music too.

My dc have ADHD. They are usually 40 places ahead of me climbing trees as I dash to keep up!

I've checked and my school run walking is just over 5 miles a day

Which, to be fair, is pretty much what the pp said.
That's a school run of less than a mile and a half door to door (presuming you're doing there and back twice).

Obviously it's great to walk that rather than to drive it though.

People on here can be super nonchalant about exercise and going to the gym but they don't think about what lies ahead of them if they don't put the effort in now.

my parents, aunts, uncles didn't go the gym, lots of walking though.

I walk home after work which takes an hour and I’m very sweaty and ready for a shower when I get home
DC are no longer dependent on me otherwise there is absolutely no way I’d be walking for an hour

They question should be why wouldn’t you exercise? It feels absolutely great and makes your life much better. With very few exceptions, anyone can make the time to exercise. They just don’t want to.

The reason our grandparents etc didn’t exercise is that they led very active lives. We don’t.

Double posted, sorry

I've thought the same OP. The only people I know who do formal exercise are trying to lose weight.

I'm active - dogs, horses, gardening in the summer, DIY, cleaning, always out and about. I sit a lot for work but rarely sit down the rest of the time.

I am aware I'm losing my strength though so will have to do something about that, but I'll buy some weights and resistance bands not join a gym.

I do a 2hr walk per day with my ds as he’s obsessed with vehicles so it’s enjoyable for both of us, I also do 20 min dance workout in the evening when he’s gone to bed. That’s me done!

The sad fact OP is that you’re probably not in the minority. But my functional fitness class are full of 40 and 50-somethings who are taking control and aiming to stay fit into old age (healthspan not lifespan) - I think it’s a key age when you maybe get a bit more time, kids are older, and you see what’s important. DH and I have always played competitive sport though, and fit our lives around it (breastfeeding on the sideline anyone?) and we’re hopefully setting our kids up to live the same way.

I used to exercise with dc, a run or football in the park, bike rides, yoga, aerobic type workouts in the lounge. I felt that it was important for all of us to be moving and it tired them out. To them it was play.

I’m not trying to lose weight. I’m trying to keep sane.

Sports England say 63.7% of ENglish do 150 minutes of ‘ moderate’ intensity exercise a week. I personally feel that it’s the other way around perfectly, 63% don’t … that’s just my perception.

I agree with this. I do my exercises from home in my lunch break, 5days a week as I work from home full time.

I have a few kettle bell weights ranging from 8kg - 25kg that I’ve purchased over the years.

i tend to do short sessions of between 15-30mins depending on my energy levels and how much of my break I want to use.

I mostly use Caroline Girvin as it’s super easy to find her 15min /20min /30min sessions and she also has a fair few “non equipment “ sessions too.

i know some find it tough to motivate themselves to exercise from home but for me I find it more of a slog to add in travel to and from a gym, not to mention its free! Of course the weights I have I had to buy, but in the beginning I would load up a rucksack with canned foods/ potatoes and hug it to my chest while I did squats and lunges etc. plus with so many routines that use your body weight as the “weight” it doesn’t have to cost anything!

as someone mentioned previously on this thread, building and maintaining muscle is really important for women, particularly late 30s /early 40s onwards

I third growingananas. Much easier than caroline girvan but still challenging and effective

You absolutely don’t need to go to the gym (I can’t stand them, too noisy and too many people!).

Looking at the state of the health of the nation it’s clear that many, many people don’t exercise.

I would love there to be a fitness class class aimed at over sixties locally and around six pm so I could go after work. A nice mix of strength and Pilates etc. However anything available seems to be daytime when I'm at work and I don't think there is even that much. I need the motivation of a class and the fact I've paid to go. I did try a bootcamp thing which I quite enjoyed but I don't like the face it's in a park in all weathers as I found that unpleasant and I was the oldest easily by fifteen years. I love walking but it isn't fun any more as the toes are too painful.

Agree. It was a passive aggressive comment.

Anyway these sorts of threads tend to be skewed as people that do exercise are more likely to respond. Hardly anyone comes on to say they do no exercise yet stats show otherwise.

Edited to add: I just realised this is the exercise board so of course it’s mostly people that exercise 😂

Same. Most people I run and cycle with are. It trying to lose weight. They enjoy it, want to keep fit and sometimes compete.