My exercise routine has fluctuated during my life from youth sports to athletic hobbies to gyms to an individual regimen. Currently I exercise everyday at home alternating arms, core and legs. I am always tweaking the workouts and have recently added jaw and toes/ feet stretches and exercises due to recent injuries. I like to do my fitness first thing in the morning

oh my goodness, I'm exhausted just from reading this thread

i am not, nor have a ever been athletic. i did take dance lessons one year in elementary school, tennis lessons from grade 5-7, swimming from 1st grade thru high school. I was good at none of it, and enjoyed it even less.
in college i swim for exercise, and found when no one was pushing me, i did like it. and as probably every other college women in the early 80s did the Jane Fonda workout video. and I walked, usually 4-5 miles a day, and then after i graduated, i walked but was lucky to get in 2 miles/3x a week
in my late 30s/early 40s i took up yoga, which i liked. but then the teacher that i really liked moved, and i could not find another one who made me feel like i was getting any better, plus i had a life set back. i tried again in my late 40s, but was not feeling it.
in 2019 i started Pilates. and i loved it. but then, well, we all know what happened next. i have not felt comfortable yet going back, but i have plans to start again in the spring. i know myself well enough to know that i need a class to hold myself accountable to showing up and doing the work
the one good thing about the last 2.5 years, i started walking seriously again. now that i'm back in the office 3 days a week, its not as much as it was, but still i'm averaging 10-12 miles a week

So many interesting journeys and activities! I was quite accident-prone until mid late 20s and often had to stop due to injuries, I used to do swimming, volleyball and tennis.I loved snowboarding but that had a hard stop as I was "run over" by skiers

twice

(not my fault!). Pre-Pandemic, I used to do zumba and other aerobics activities but nowadays I like a gentler routine and currently do twice a week Reformer Pilates, twice a week Yoga, once a week swimming and I alternate a weekend with nice long hikes with friends with another for gardening with Mr Minu. I hope to do more swimming when the weather improves!

Very interesting thread. It’s not always a straight forward path with illness and injuries as April and Sloper have shared. And also with money and time- if you face long commutes and long hours at work exercising is very hard to fit in.

I have finally worked out what suits me- I have a very sporty competitive husband who is driven by that. He’s naturally very good too. But what drives me is feeling strong, seeing my friends, and being outdoors. If I like it I will do it regularly - I don’t need a race to train for or a time to beat.

My routine is a mix of walking - city parks, rivers, streets and in nature when I can. Sometimes alone, more often with friends. I do weights twice a week, once in a circuit format. I do a flow yoga class once a week, and try to bike to work once a week. It’s 30km round trip so not a short commute.

I toy with running but find it challenging. I prefer HIT or biking. I like the rower at the gym.

For me walking with friends means I can go in the dark of winter - and knowing they are waiting for me is motivation on the mornings where I struggle.

After reading this thread I am feeling like a complete slug!
Never been particularly into exercise. My brother was the exercise fiend and excelled at it his entire life up until 3 years ago when he got sick.
I've dabbled at running and years ago step class . I've managed to drag myself to Pilates (Bodi, Reformer, MOTR and Jump Board) for the past 2 years about 1-3 times a week. I certainly wouldn't say I love it but I can say I don't mind it. Unfortunately I've fallen off the wagon in the past month as a few classes were cancelled and then I was busy. Now its Christmas and I'm leaving to visit my brother January 5 for 2 weeks so it's probably going to be February how bad is that ?? I should be doing weight bearing as I have osteoporosis argh.

Not sporty or athletic at all but did modern dance as a kid and added Afro-Haitian dance in college. As a young adult I ran/jogged, and in my late 30s I did free weights which I really love. I think I mostly stopped exercising in my 40s. In my 50s I started walking a track, but then it closed during the pandemic. Then I started walking one of the steepest hills in town. Now, including walking to and from my home I walk about 105 minutes five days per week and 85 or 90 minutes on Sundays because I run out of time. I don’t walk on the seventh day because I work so don’t have time in the morning, and if I were to exercise in the late afternoon my body would not have 24 hours to recover before the next time I ago out.

Walking is my happy place. I love the solitude and it gives me a chance to plan outfits and ponder possibilities. I spread Diclofinac/Voltaren on my knees ahead of time so that helps with the arthritis. Nonetheless, I hope a medication will be approved by the FDA in the next year or two that will restore feeling and functionality to my fingers so I can use kettleballs and/or free weights. I need to build up my upper body. All that walking has caused me to lose eight or ten pounds and size in my shoulders in favor of more sculpted calves.

Much as I like walking and at various times have tried to tell myself that it was as ingrained as brushing my teeth, stopping for a few days and getting out of my routine has shown me that it isn’t.

I’m not sporty at all. Hated sports as a kid and teenager. I got a large dog when I was 13 so that prompted me to walk him about 5 kms a day. Got weight conscious in my late teens and took up running. For most of my adult life I just walked a lot with a bit of running here and there. I did ashtanga yoga for a year in my 30s but gave it up. I took ashtanga yoga up again mid 40s and have been doing it regularly for about 5 years between 3 to 6 times a week. I have a couple of regular teachers who push me to extend myself in my practice and practice at home. One of them in particular has taught me how to modify my practice so I can do it to suit my mood and injuries if I have any. I’ve also got stronger than I was when I was younger. I think you have to find something you love.

Gail, my words exactly - come sit by me! Team Slug, perpetually benched.

I was into yoga and running as those came into fashion in the 60's and 70's, and weight training at home too. Then came kids in the 80's and walking became my happy place because I could just push them with me in a stroller and/or have them on my back. And kids and outside equalled happy moods for both of us. These days I have to do so much less due to painful feet but I still get out and do a short one, feel the sun, (or the gloom) and the wind and smell the air. It is always refreshing. For me over the years, walking has been more about the change of scene, the exploring urban or rural areas (maybe even with a camera and now a phone), and the solitude or the company, then about the "workout". Those days are gone and happily so.

I am so unathletic it’s not even funny. Grew up as a bookworm. I went outside and was active but HATED anything competitive, especially if it required speed. I could play Horse (basketball based game) because I could take my time and aim. When I was a kid, I went to a day sports camp for a couple of summers and it was fun because I could choose things like archery, bowling, and swimming. I played a little tennis too. I rode my bike and played kickball with the neighborhood kids. But, I was not good at any of this stuff: I was the kind of kid who got picked in the final 3 or so for any team in which a captain picks teams. I hope for an eternity of mild torture for whoever came up with that whole idea, which always resulted in bullies making those of us who were not athletic feel like shit.

As an adult, I have ridden my bike in varying degrees of frequency, done yoga (again, varying degrees of frequency), hiked a lot, and done some swimming.

About 12 years ago I got a wild hair and signed up for a half marathon, even though I’d never run at all as an adult. I wanted a challenge. I signed on with a training team, brought home running shoes, and my husband was like, “who are you and what have you done with my wife?” LOL

I ran several half marathons and assorted shorter events, and stopped when I had abdominal surgery nine years ago. I was never fast but I finished in a fairly respectable time for a woman who started running at age 45. I then got more into bicycling and did some long events (a couple of centuries, rode across Iowa, and a few other events like the 5 Borough Bike Tour in NY).

In the last few years I’ve gotten more hesitant to ride the roads near my home. It’s gotten more dangerous. People have been killed on routes I used to ride all the time. It pisses me off, but I get a little bored on the rail trails, so I don’t ride as much as I was doing five years ago. I should get back into it more.

Fast forward to Covid. I started hiking more. And just a few months ago I started 2x a week Pilates sessions, which I’m really enjoying. I’m now interested in trying pickle ball. My yoga instructor has started back up with in person classes, so I’ll step that back up again.

So all this to say, I’m active even if I’m not a good athlete. I would walk everywhere, given the chance. My husband groans when we’re in NYC and I’m like, “it’s only a mile away, let’s walk.” It takes 15-20 min, and a cab ride can easily take that long.

I’m learning so much from this thread, and it is helping me fire up the motivation.

Sloper, that’s so true. I do not love running. I like the completion of running. Of having done it.

Lisa I exercise with others. My karate is a school and so all I have to do is show up for classes. DH and I go to the gym together and my Sunday morning swim, walk and coffee is with my best friend, is as social as it is exercise. I do a Saturday walk with DH and about 3 hours of walking on my own. Having the routine and wanting to spend time with my friends and family helps with motivation. Is there something that you could do with your daughter?

FWIW, I’ve never been ‘competitive’. My high school coach commended my dedication, but counselled that I didn’t have the right body - too tall, too heavy - to be a top runner. He explained the concept of ‘personal best’, and had me focus on being the best I could be instead of competing against others - and to make running a life long habit.

So much dedication here! And so many varied experiences. Yes, to doing what we love. I totally forgot the ten speed biking phase in the 70's! I found a used Motebecane and rode that everywhere, especially long country roads. Felt very cool when I got toe clips :). Then mountain bikes after...and riding kids on the back in a little seat. I also was not athletic as a youth, but always moving when not with my nose in a book or watching tv. To find things that were solitary pursuits from teen years on like yoga, running, biking, walking, where no one is picking you last for the team, was a happy healing experience.

@Janet - I used to cycle your roads too, and all over the DC/MD/VA area when we were both into training for those centuries a while back, but I've completely given it up due to danger. I've worked too hard to be in the shape I am in now (for durability!) to end it in an instant - injured or worse. I also find the trails SO BORING, but cycling does remain my favorite endurance sport.

I'm active, though I'm frustrated because I'm seeing a weight gain despite all the work. My current system is at least 2 different activities per day across the following:

• personal training, mostly pilates reformer 2x week
• pilates mat class 1x week (or more)
• free weight training 3x week
• peloton rides (I can't deal with it every day because it is boring and it hurts my hamstrings so bad)
• walks
• yoga
• swim (in the summer only I hate cold Y pools)

Uh, the thought of being thrown on the floor...