Does anyone else ever wonder..........
- Thread starter LauraMax
- Start date
honeybunch1
Cathlete
There's always time to do SOME exercise, no matter what else is going on in your life. It's all a matter of finding a plan that will do the job in as little time as possible, and it can be done. Exercise never has to be a second job. No matter where you are, you can always drop down and do a set of, you guessed it, PUSH-UPS!!
Now I have this uncontrollable urge to eat an entire bag of Doritos!
Seriously, the only time it bugs me to hear people complain they don't have time to exercise is when they complain about how much weight they've gained and how diets don't work for them. They're the same people who drive their kids to the school bus stop which is only 2 or 3 houses away from their house! They are the same people (and I mean women) who don't work and can easily devote an hour a day to exercise. They're the same women who join a health club, pay for a years membership and never go. If they put as much effort into exercising as they did into finding excuses why they can't, they wouldn't have a weight problem to begin with!
Seriously, the only time it bugs me to hear people complain they don't have time to exercise is when they complain about how much weight they've gained and how diets don't work for them. They're the same people who drive their kids to the school bus stop which is only 2 or 3 houses away from their house! They are the same people (and I mean women) who don't work and can easily devote an hour a day to exercise. They're the same women who join a health club, pay for a years membership and never go. If they put as much effort into exercising as they did into finding excuses why they can't, they wouldn't have a weight problem to begin with!
nancy324
Cathlete
I don't spend that much time exercising, and I've got lots of excuses! 
My biggest excuse is that my primary leisure time is after dinner in the evening, when my stomach is full and I can't stand exercising on a full stomach. So I lie around and watch TV, play my beloved Sudoku and post on the Cathe boards.
There is a secretary in my office who has obviously been working out a lot because she looks really toned. I asked her what she does and she said that she eats a big meal at 5:00, waits 3 hours, and then goes to the gym. I was wondering if I should try that, but I don't like to eat much during the day. I'm usually too tense to really enjoy my food. I love going home to relax with a nice (BIG) dinner. That's why weekends are the perfect time for me to exercise. Somewhere between breakfast and dinner is when I enjoy working out the most.
How do you work meals into your workouts Laura?
-Nancy
My biggest excuse is that my primary leisure time is after dinner in the evening, when my stomach is full and I can't stand exercising on a full stomach. So I lie around and watch TV, play my beloved Sudoku and post on the Cathe boards.
There is a secretary in my office who has obviously been working out a lot because she looks really toned. I asked her what she does and she said that she eats a big meal at 5:00, waits 3 hours, and then goes to the gym. I was wondering if I should try that, but I don't like to eat much during the day. I'm usually too tense to really enjoy my food. I love going home to relax with a nice (BIG) dinner. That's why weekends are the perfect time for me to exercise. Somewhere between breakfast and dinner is when I enjoy working out the most.
How do you work meals into your workouts Laura?
-Nancy
I can't remember what I did with my time before I discovered exercise, which happened in college. Sat around watching tv after dinner...wait, I still do that. I think I spent a lot of my time moping around the house, whining about not having anything to do.
Nancy, I grab a small snack when I get home from work and workout between about 7-8:30ish, depending on what time I get home from work and now much I procrastinate on the computer. We eat dinner around 8:30. Come to think of it, I'd have a lot more time to do things if I didn't spend so much time on the internet!
Also, I don't consider housecleaning and gardening inactive. The only exercise that my dad did for years was gardening, nearly every day. It always kept him reasonably fit.
Last point is that I know at least some people who would really have to struggle to find time to exercise. My sister, for one, gets up before 6, has to get her two kids ready to school, leave the house by 7 to drive them to daycare and get them to work on time; get home at 6 or so if the traffic cooperates, shop, cook dinner, help them with their homework and show an interest in their lives, pay the bills, run errands...she is exhausted by the end of the day. I suppose if she really was committed to it she could throw 30 minutes of some sort of workout in there, but I don't think she has the mental energy right now to even think about it. So it's not necessarily that folks are sitting around doing nothing if they say they don't have time to workout.
Nancy, I grab a small snack when I get home from work and workout between about 7-8:30ish, depending on what time I get home from work and now much I procrastinate on the computer. We eat dinner around 8:30. Come to think of it, I'd have a lot more time to do things if I didn't spend so much time on the internet!
Also, I don't consider housecleaning and gardening inactive. The only exercise that my dad did for years was gardening, nearly every day. It always kept him reasonably fit.
Last point is that I know at least some people who would really have to struggle to find time to exercise. My sister, for one, gets up before 6, has to get her two kids ready to school, leave the house by 7 to drive them to daycare and get them to work on time; get home at 6 or so if the traffic cooperates, shop, cook dinner, help them with their homework and show an interest in their lives, pay the bills, run errands...she is exhausted by the end of the day. I suppose if she really was committed to it she could throw 30 minutes of some sort of workout in there, but I don't think she has the mental energy right now to even think about it. So it's not necessarily that folks are sitting around doing nothing if they say they don't have time to workout.
winsomehill
Cathlete
Oh my! When asked what my hobby is it's oddly embarrasing to say working out! But, it is I love it.
Heather
Heather
allwildgirl
Cathlete
"My sister, for one, gets up before 6, has to get her two kids ready to school, leave the house by 7 to drive them to daycare and get them to work on time; get home at 6 or so if the traffic cooperates, shop, cook dinner, help them with their homework and show an interest in their lives, pay the bills, run errands..."
I mean no disrespect to your sister, but I also do all that. I get up at 5:25, walk the dog, get myself ready, get my daughter up and ready, fed, packed and out the door at 7:30, drop her at the before-school care program at school, go to work, pick her up at the after-school care program, come home, make dinner, help her with homework, do laundry, make lunches, get her ready for bed and into bed, and THEN I work out. For an hour. I know that 8 p.m. isn't the most ideal time to work out, but it's when I can fit it in, so that's when it happens. I wouldn't be worth living with without my exercise.
And people? I was KIDDING about the Doritos and the TV.
I mean no disrespect to your sister, but I also do all that. I get up at 5:25, walk the dog, get myself ready, get my daughter up and ready, fed, packed and out the door at 7:30, drop her at the before-school care program at school, go to work, pick her up at the after-school care program, come home, make dinner, help her with homework, do laundry, make lunches, get her ready for bed and into bed, and THEN I work out. For an hour. I know that 8 p.m. isn't the most ideal time to work out, but it's when I can fit it in, so that's when it happens. I wouldn't be worth living with without my exercise.
And people? I was KIDDING about the Doritos and the TV.
honeybunch1
Cathlete
YOU GO, LIMECAT! YOU TELL 'EM TO "JUST DO IT!!!!" If you can do it, anyone can!
Sounds like me when I'm teaching my classes - my opening disclaimer is, "Don't even try the excuse, 'I'm too old for this,' because I know I'm older than all of you!" And I'm usually right - yesterday there were a couple of people AS old, but none older.
Sounds like me when I'm teaching my classes - my opening disclaimer is, "Don't even try the excuse, 'I'm too old for this,' because I know I'm older than all of you!" And I'm usually right - yesterday there were a couple of people AS old, but none older.
luvtorun
Cathlete
You have to take all the things in your life and prioritize them. For me, exercise was never a big part of my life until April of 2003 when I decided enough was enough and dropped 30 some pounds. I've never looked back. I never want to go back to a sedentary lifestyle again. That being said, I believe everyone should make an effort to do even the barest minimum, 20 minutes a day, three days a week, for example. Looking good is great but feeling good and having good health is so important. If you work long hours, it may be even more important to get in a little exercise. This shouldn't be a luxury but a necessity. Looking for options like riding a stationary bike while watching that half hour program or going over notes for work the next day, etc. Multitasking has been an integral part of our busy, on-the-run society, so multitasking exercise shouldn't be that difficult. I've even seen fitness magazine articles that show exercises that can be done with toddlers/babies, etc. using the toddler/baby as a weight, i.e. lying on your back and pushing the toddler/baby up and down, LOL... I swear I've seen this!! Given enough imagination and will to really want to get it done, anything is possible.
endorphin_junkie
Cathlete
The mention of sisters reminded me of an exchange that I had with mine. Growing up she was short and petite I was tall and......stocky, (I'm trying not to use the F word ). In our adulthood that dynamic flipped, she is a very large woman (but still only 5'1") with bad hips and borderline diabetes. I am a single Mom of 3, she is married with 3. She said "I don't have time to workout.", I asked her if she still watched jeopardy and Entertainment Tonight every night, she said 'yes', my reply was, "you have time to workout." she was pretty pi$$ed off at me and the subject has NEVER come up again.
I agree it is all about priorities, I used to love sitting with the newspaper every morning for an hour or so and used to do a lot of crossword puzzles to keep my little brain nimble. At times I miss these rituals but missing them doesn't make me restless and grumpy, missing workouts makes me restless and grumpy.
Take Care
Laurie
). In our adulthood that dynamic flipped, she is a very large woman (but still only 5'1") with bad hips and borderline diabetes. I am a single Mom of 3, she is married with 3. She said "I don't have time to workout.", I asked her if she still watched jeopardy and Entertainment Tonight every night, she said 'yes', my reply was, "you have time to workout." she was pretty pi$$ed off at me and the subject has NEVER come up again. I agree it is all about priorities, I used to love sitting with the newspaper every morning for an hour or so and used to do a lot of crossword puzzles to keep my little brain nimble. At times I miss these rituals but missing them doesn't make me restless and grumpy, missing workouts makes me restless and grumpy.
Take Care
Laurie
As a single Mom also - (took a year off) I spent the time with my kids. You can never spend too much time with your kids.
Working out is a big part of my life but there is alot more to it than just working out. Its a priority but not nearly as close to being a good Mom. Reading is good, relaxing, prayer, going to kids games, helping with homework, being with friends (mainly chatting).
Working out is a big part of my life but there is alot more to it than just working out. Its a priority but not nearly as close to being a good Mom. Reading is good, relaxing, prayer, going to kids games, helping with homework, being with friends (mainly chatting).
Well, yes, I agree exercise is important and that you have to make time for it--it's not going to just magically happen. And as I said, I'm sure my sister has 20 minutes she could spare in her day to do some sort of workout. My point was more about what people do with their free time if they're not working out. I really admire anyone who is a parent--especially a single parent--and finds the time and energy to workout. Most of the people with kids that I know just don't workout. As for getting people to see that they *can* find 20-30 minutes in their day to do something as simple as walking, I don't think anyone has yet come up with the magic way to motivate people to make exercise a priority--you would think that after all the pressure from doctors, from recommendations from the government, public service ads, publicity about the dangers of obesity and diabetes, societal pressure to be thin--after all that you would think that more people would make an effort to workout. But I think the current figure is that 60%?? of American adults get no exercise at all.
nancy324
Cathlete
I'm chiming in here to disagree to the characterization of exercise as a "should" by many who have posted. My career and other parts of my life are full of efforts and discipline, and I will never apply discipline to my discretionary time. If I don't enjoy it, I don't do it.
It just so happens that I LOVE to work out. It is one of my favorite hobbies, trumped only by sleeping and eating out. I love spending hours on weekends working out. I love how relaxed and healthy it makes me feel. I love watching for and feeling the changes in my body.
I don't think exercise should be a "should" on your to-do list. I think it should be a gift that you give to yourself because you think you deserve to feel good! I think some of the women being described here just don't feel worthy of feeling good and doing something for themselves.
To me, in the Year of Turning Fifty, life is about enjoyment, more so than ever before! Not about adding more stresses, and more "shoulds". In order to enjoy life, you have to feel good. And you can't feel good without exercise. It's just that simple.
Laura, hope you don't mind that we got a bit sidetracked here. I am very impressed by the number of hours you have put in to exercising!
-Nancy
It just so happens that I LOVE to work out. It is one of my favorite hobbies, trumped only by sleeping and eating out. I love spending hours on weekends working out. I love how relaxed and healthy it makes me feel. I love watching for and feeling the changes in my body.
I don't think exercise should be a "should" on your to-do list. I think it should be a gift that you give to yourself because you think you deserve to feel good!
I think some of the women being described here just don't feel worthy of feeling good and doing something for themselves. To me, in the Year of Turning Fifty, life is about enjoyment, more so than ever before! Not about adding more stresses, and more "shoulds". In order to enjoy life, you have to feel good. And you can't feel good without exercise. It's just that simple.
Laura, hope you don't mind that we got a bit sidetracked here. I am very impressed by the number of hours you have put in to exercising!
-Nancy
gidget1978
Cathlete
I think this is a good topic and no wars yet! Yeah!!!! Unless I missed something
I to don't get why people are to busy to workout a little, even a 30 min walk doesn't take up your whole day.Yes, for some people it is an excuse but for others they may truely be...THAT busy.I do the same thing as Shelly if I am working days, so I get up at 5:30 workout from 6-7, get ready for work,get DD snack ready for the day,and I don't get off utill 6:30.Sometimes DD and DH have already eaten by the time I get home and there are other times that I have to pick her up and feed her when I get home.BUt while she was eating her dinner last night at 7, I was running on the treadmill.If it weren't a fri night, I would have done her homework before OR did it after b/c I was off of the treadmill around 8.
I really think my house work suffers b/c of it.I don't think my house is, AS in order as i would like it to be but that is only b/c I like to workout and clean at the same time.So I opt to workout and then I push the housework off for another day.And I don't talk to my friends on the phone as much as I should b/c I don't have time in the run of a day.If I weren't working out and showering after, then that would free up 90 min of my day.
I only have 1 friend who works out as much as I do.She runs and that is it.But most of my other friends are smaller then I am, want to workout but don't have the time.They are shift workers with small kids so they find it hard.But 1 had a treamill in her basement so I don't think thats an excuse, you can get on that anytime!
Anyway...just my 2 cents.I don't think everyone who doesn't workout is lazy and watching t.v.Some do other things that they enjoy and lets face it, not everyone likes to workout like we do.Like someone said before we are not your average bear...hmmmm I mean women
Lori
Unless I missed something I to don't get why people are to busy to workout a little, even a 30 min walk doesn't take up your whole day.Yes, for some people it is an excuse but for others they may truely be...THAT busy.I do the same thing as Shelly if I am working days, so I get up at 5:30 workout from 6-7, get ready for work,get DD snack ready for the day,and I don't get off utill 6:30.Sometimes DD and DH have already eaten by the time I get home and there are other times that I have to pick her up and feed her when I get home.BUt while she was eating her dinner last night at 7, I was running on the treadmill.If it weren't a fri night, I would have done her homework before OR did it after b/c I was off of the treadmill around 8.
I really think my house work suffers b/c of it.I don't think my house is, AS in order as i would like it to be but that is only b/c I like to workout and clean at the same time.So I opt to workout and then I push the housework off for another day.And I don't talk to my friends on the phone as much as I should b/c I don't have time in the run of a day.If I weren't working out and showering after, then that would free up 90 min of my day.
I only have 1 friend who works out as much as I do.She runs and that is it.But most of my other friends are smaller then I am, want to workout but don't have the time.They are shift workers with small kids so they find it hard.But 1 had a treamill in her basement so I don't think thats an excuse, you can get on that anytime!
Anyway...just my 2 cents.I don't think everyone who doesn't workout is lazy and watching t.v.Some do other things that they enjoy and lets face it, not everyone likes to workout like we do.Like someone said before we are not your average bear...hmmmm I mean women
Lori
luvtorun
Cathlete
I am reminded by something I read/heard a while back..... a physician said that it amazes him how many patients claim to not have time to work out, just impossible, can't be done, etc.... then when they are flat on their backs in a cath lab after a heart attack or near heart attack, these same people finally find the time they didn't think they had to exercise.
nancy324
Cathlete
Lori, I love watching TV and being lazy. What's wrong with that? I don't like to think what my co-workers, fellow commuters and neighbors would be like if they didn't have any relaxing lazy time. I fear everyone would be nasty and unpleasant at best, and perhaps crazy and gun-weilding at worst. Down time is absolutely essential!
-Nancy
-Nancy
kathryn
Cathlete
>what people who don't work out do with their extra time?
>
I know peoople with families and careers who don't have that much "extra time." They don't get in much time for exercise per se, but they are very active (with their children and in daily activities).
I sometimes wonder how people have the time to workout 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day.
>
I know peoople with families and careers who don't have that much "extra time." They don't get in much time for exercise per se, but they are very active (with their children and in daily activities).
I sometimes wonder how people have the time to workout 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day.
gidget1978
Cathlete
Nancy, did I say that I thought there was something wrong with watching t.v and being lazy? I said the opposite...this is what I said...",Anyway...just my 2 cents.I don't think everyone who doesn't workout is lazy and watching t.v.Some do other things that they enjoy and lets face it, not everyone likes to workout like we do.Like someone said before we are not your average bear...hmmmm I mean women .
I to love my down time and yes everyone needs it.I didn't say anything negative, did I?
Lori
I to love my down time and yes everyone needs it.I didn't say anything negative, did I?
Lori
Fit_mommy
Cathlete
>I sometimes wonder how people have the time to workout 1 1/2
>to 2 hours a day.
Before I had my son and I was married and working full time I did not have time to work out for more than 60 minutes per day. I squeezed in an hour after dinner and in between washing clothes, cleaning, etc. I just couldn't devote any more time than that. I can't imagine where I'd find the time if I were still working f/t outside of the home now that I have DS!? Being a SAHM, I have more time now because I can work out in the morning before DS gets up with out having to wake up at 5am to do it, and I can also work out during nap time. Like I said before though...if I didn't devote so much time to fitness, my house would be SQEAKY CLEAN all of the time! It can be difficult to get housework done while DS is awake. He only amuses himself for so long before he gets upset and wants attention therefore doing housework before he gets up or during nap time is optimum but I usually spend that time working out instead.
>to 2 hours a day.
Before I had my son and I was married and working full time I did not have time to work out for more than 60 minutes per day. I squeezed in an hour after dinner and in between washing clothes, cleaning, etc. I just couldn't devote any more time than that. I can't imagine where I'd find the time if I were still working f/t outside of the home now that I have DS!? Being a SAHM, I have more time now because I can work out in the morning before DS gets up with out having to wake up at 5am to do it, and I can also work out during nap time. Like I said before though...if I didn't devote so much time to fitness, my house would be SQEAKY CLEAN all of the time! It can be difficult to get housework done while DS is awake. He only amuses himself for so long before he gets upset and wants attention therefore doing housework before he gets up or during nap time is optimum but I usually spend that time working out instead.
nancy324
Cathlete
Hi Lori,
When you said "I don't think everyone who doesn't workout is lazy and watching t.v.", to me it implied something negative. There are actually many posts in this thread that contained that implication, not just yours. I just wanted to put in a good word for lazy TV watchers to balance things out. }( :+
Have a great day!
-Nancy
When you said "I don't think everyone who doesn't workout is lazy and watching t.v.", to me it implied something negative. There are actually many posts in this thread that contained that implication, not just yours. I just wanted to put in a good word for lazy TV watchers to balance things out. }( :+
Have a great day!
-Nancy