Hiding behind responsibilities as an excuse for lack of training and exercise.

Exercise & Fitness Exercise & Fitness: Questions / Help
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I was just over 8 stone a few years ago. Now, after covid, long hours at work and change in role and family responsibilities, I am now, 9 stone and 12 pounds, or there about (5 foot 4). For me it’s not just the change in body shape, but the sluggish nature of both my body and mind - and they are both exhausted. As a Teacher/Head of Year, I’m trying to cram a lot into a day which usually starts at around 5am and ends at quarter to six (or I may make phone calls in the evening from home). Then I start again around eight in the evening to around 10pm most nights, all the while attending to family responsibilities. Work takes up a good chunk of the weekend, putting in at the very least a further eight hours. I focus on my family, I focus on the students, I focus on the community, extended family and friends. How do I stop (mentally) and focus on me.

To be honest, I know I’m making excuses for not training and I’m aware of it. I know you need to put the effort in - I tell my ‘kids’ that every day at school ‘effort reaps rewards’ - yet, I’m a hypocrite. It is one hour out of 24, but I’ve ‘programmed myself’ to say that I can’t ‘mentally’ fit it all in, and in a nutshell, I’ve realised I tend to apply one of three excuses: 1) I can’t ‘mentally switch off’ so I’m not in the ‘right frame of mind’ for training; 2) lack of time in my 24 hour busy day, and 3) I’m not able to walk away from the piles of work and responsibilities to focus on me because I ‘need’ to do the work before I can start something else and well…there’s always tomorrow.

I would love to hear from you. Were you hiding behind responsibilities and excuses before you made that change?

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Love your use of those archaic measurements but they are now meaningless to me - as you are a teacher surely they became obsolete in schools in the 1960s?

The pandemic certainly did affect my well being even though I did manage to keep exercising my weight has gone from 85 to 88kg (I am 183cm tall) I could make the effort to lose it by eating less but I am not sure that I want to make the effort just for a couple of kgs.

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In the UK we use both metric and imperial interchangeably as schools teach conversions between the two. Guess our education didn’t stop in the ‘60s’.

Agree, if you don’t fee like losing a few ‘kilos’ you are effectively saying it’s not worth it - yet. But when you gain more, then you’ll do something about it? That thinking led me to where I am today.

Thank you for sharing.

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No, I wasn’t but I heard those excuses a lot. I’ve been exercising throughout my whole life because I felt that I needed it to “mentally switch off”. So it was just the contrary. I regularly felt that I couldn’t hear myself think if I didn’t go out immediately and run. It turned out that I was having the best ideas while jogging. It often was like cutting the Gordian knot.
There was, however, one phase in my life when I was in my thirties that I tended to get sluggish because I felt overworked and tired since everyone wanted a piece of me but I never stopped exercising completely. Yet, with hindsight, I should have done better even during that phase. I did manage the turnaround and made exercising the pivotal point of my life. I didn’t ask how I could fit exercising into my weekly routine because then there would often be a reason or excuse why it was not possible but I arranged all the other activities around the two time slots I’d reserved for exercising. Needless to say, it’s all about priorities. And since I was hardly able to cut down on the professional requirements I had to do so in my private life, in my case, by socialising and meeting friends less often than would be possible if I didn’t exercise. That was a price I was willing to pay.

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Its hard to advise, spose some folks have to feel the need they have done some sort of organised training to balance the excessive hours worked. I think none organised physical activity during the working day should look after a persons health but, maybe not the minds need to have separated the daily functions.

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Such a relief to hear that, after the Brexit negotiations I am sure the world was beginning to wonder. Well done and thanks for bringing us up to date.

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If you taking so much time to do your job surely something is wrong ?
Why do you need to get up at 5.00 am ?

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Hi M44, nice to meet you and what an interesting first post :+1:

My instant impression is that you are very judgey towards yourself and you think you need punishing and discipline! Perhaps it’s the teacher in you :rofl: “excuse” “hiding” “responsibility”, all judgey words

Whereas I think what you need is a bit of loving yourself and joyfulness

You’re working silly hours, all the hours God made, and now you feel guilty because you’re not punishing yourself further with an hours vigorous exercise, come on girl, give yourself a break :rofl:

Your work/ home life is out of balance, that’s why you’re getting fat and not exercising. Sit down, (preferably on the exercise bike!) and take a good look at your life and find a way to cut those hours

Meanwhile, find some exercise that’s fun and you enjoy and makes you smile, and do small bursts, 5, 10, 15 minutes, squeeze them in where you can, you don’t have to do a solid hour

My “micro” exercises include juggling, hula hooping, riding my kick scooter, doing the TikTok dances with my friend’s granddaughter, desk yoga, Everest challenge, walking up the stairs and charting my progress walking up Everest, brisk walk/jog, and a morning yoga stretch, while my main exercise is sea swimming

You’re fine as you are, you know, you’re not a work in progress, in need of improvement

My advice is to love your body as it is‘cos it’s yours and what you live in and then you’ll start treating it better. And ditch some of those responsibilities to go socialising with your mates, spend time with the family and doing your own hobbies

Nobody is indispensable, you know, delegate some of that work, take shortcuts and work out what you can get away with not doing at all :+1:

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I am intrigued by the Everest challenge have started a new thread so as not to derail this topic .

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Try this for a starter! The TikTok rabbit dance, if you’re not giggling by the end, you’re not trying :rofl:

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Welcome to the forum M44 and I hope you are going to stick around for a while despite your hectic life and busy workload. Responsibility unfortunately brings all the things you have posted about, less time for doing the things you enjoy and giving yourself time to recover from the mental pressures of work, and the reason that prompted you to divulge on a forum of people you have never met before.

I can only reflect on Dachs excellent post, which describes me to a tee. Running has always been my priority, and for forty plus years, my family have learned to accept this and have very rarely got in the way of scheduled run. Self discipline and the need for ‘my time’ have been more important than even work (although after redundancy work did move up slightly on my ‘priority list’ but I never stopped training) Like Dachs, being alone with my thoughts for an hour has solved many problems over the years, and even now, that hour of solitude still bears the same attraction that it always has, but now a lot slower and less distance, but still as important all the same.

Running to lose weight or for the social side is very beneficial but will not provide longevity, only a passion for running or any other form of exercise must be done from the heart or it will be short lived. If you are to continue holding your life together you must adjust your list of priorities and provide a better work/life balance. You only get one shot at life, and the future of yours is totally in your hands.

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I don’t think running is a particularly safe sport for a woman especially alone I know loads do it but think how many women are attacked whilst doing it . Also it’s not so good for your joints especially if you are small framed and carrying a bit of weight .IMO Walking is better preferably with a friend .

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That’s all very catchy I agree, Maree, but the couple demonstrating are many years younger than most of us! I couldn’t leap and bounce about like that for a start, not with my dodgy feet and ankles.
We need exercises for oldies. Might start a thread actually . . . hmm . . . :thinking:

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Strong drink helps. It’s been the solution to all of my problems. Been the cause of most of them too.

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I can do it still but the sight of us two old dears, me and her gran, having a go, cracks my friends granddaughter up

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I think an exercise thread for our age would be a great idea

Well, have you met our Eugene? I used to do his vids with mum, she liked him. He does chair ones too

And my friend who works doing the entertainment activities at the care home does his routines with the residents too and they love him

She’s old so you’ll have to forgive, but one of the residents is always saying to her “lets have that black man on!”

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He’s very good but it’s not for me although quite nice to watch .
I prefer to go out walking with my dog especially with the good weather when you can see the spring flowers and nature in bloom .
The soul needs food and exercise too.

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Nothing like a walk for giving you a boost but the folk in the care home can’t get out for that and he is a bit of fun :+1:

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Yes I can see he is fun but the truth is the thought makes my blood run cold .
Please god spare me the care home .

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I know what you mean, I’m planning to get struck by lightening :zap: before I get to that stage. I did get a little bit of comfort when mum died knowing that I’d managed to keep her in her own home xx