11-24-2025, 07:30 PM
On average, how much time do you spend on working out and being active (including walking) each day? How much do you stress over fitness? (and also some mindset questions.)
I'm trying to get more fit so joined a local gym. My only numbers goal is to get at least 10k steps a day, either through running or walking (treadmill or outdoor). That's at least 1 hour to 100 minutes each day just for walking/running. I don't aim for more. Then I do some other exercise like resistance training in the gym.
This means 3 hours/day including commuting from and to the gym. This is at least 5 days/week.
If I do less, I feel unfit and unhappy. But I also feel that that's a lot of working out. I have other projects I want to work on but I think there's a false dichotomy of 'devoting all to fitness' versus 'devoting to studies/work/projects'. I've focused on the latter most of my life and I don't think I'm happier. In fact, as I didn't restrict eating that much, I spent more time making foods and grocery shopping. Now I have a set number of ingredients to purchase and go in and out of supermarkets quickly.
In the past, I'm quite sedentary, maybe jog for 20-30 minutes, twice per week (if that). My BMI is 20-21 but I'm definitely skinny fat, like about 28% body fat. I don't look unhealthy but I am not happy with my body.
The key difference is that I have always been full-time employed, and fitness is almost always an afterthought, a chore. I'm unemployed now and looking to get employed full-time again, but my mind is messing me up. I fear that once I'm working full-time, I will just revert to old habits. I really want to change and become one of the fit people. Not exactly athletic, but having fitness as one of the things in their lives; mostly, I want to be a runner. (Used to be able to run 5k easy, but after just some time of being unfit, it's only 3k now! I hope to run 10k or more in the future.) The thing is, working full-time is itself a chore, stressful, and I tend to just want to watch TV and eat pasta once I get home.
I guess my other question is just, how much do you prioritise fitness in your life? And/or if you've shifted (becoming less/more active), how has it changed your life?
I'm trying to get more fit so joined a local gym. My only numbers goal is to get at least 10k steps a day, either through running or walking (treadmill or outdoor). That's at least 1 hour to 100 minutes each day just for walking/running. I don't aim for more. Then I do some other exercise like resistance training in the gym.
This means 3 hours/day including commuting from and to the gym. This is at least 5 days/week.
If I do less, I feel unfit and unhappy. But I also feel that that's a lot of working out. I have other projects I want to work on but I think there's a false dichotomy of 'devoting all to fitness' versus 'devoting to studies/work/projects'. I've focused on the latter most of my life and I don't think I'm happier. In fact, as I didn't restrict eating that much, I spent more time making foods and grocery shopping. Now I have a set number of ingredients to purchase and go in and out of supermarkets quickly.
In the past, I'm quite sedentary, maybe jog for 20-30 minutes, twice per week (if that). My BMI is 20-21 but I'm definitely skinny fat, like about 28% body fat. I don't look unhealthy but I am not happy with my body.
The key difference is that I have always been full-time employed, and fitness is almost always an afterthought, a chore. I'm unemployed now and looking to get employed full-time again, but my mind is messing me up. I fear that once I'm working full-time, I will just revert to old habits. I really want to change and become one of the fit people. Not exactly athletic, but having fitness as one of the things in their lives; mostly, I want to be a runner. (Used to be able to run 5k easy, but after just some time of being unfit, it's only 3k now! I hope to run 10k or more in the future.) The thing is, working full-time is itself a chore, stressful, and I tend to just want to watch TV and eat pasta once I get home.
I guess my other question is just, how much do you prioritise fitness in your life? And/or if you've shifted (becoming less/more active), how has it changed your life?
