Who Needs More than Cooking for exercise?

I don't know if this is an age thing or general malaise due to this seemingly long stretch of winter. After peeling and coring a pineapple, chunking it then putting it in a dish in the fridge, I feel exhausted. Worse, there is far more in the compost caddy than the dish after all this work! I'm now too tired to eat it Rolling eyes. Any recipe that says, 'beat eggs until they form a thin ribbon' [which takes ages] or 'peel, core and dice..' I feel a need to lie down for a couple of hours. Being virtuous and trying to eat healthily is an exhausting routine of chopping, slicing, par boiling, watching and waiting, to say nothing of the scrummage to do the shopping and dodge the usual connected social issues. These days, when I find a recipe that says, 'preparation 5 mins, cooking 10 minutes', which is very rare, I  almost dance with glee. Well, I think about it anyway Relieved.  I don't know why going to the gym and other forms of aged-body exercise punishment are recommended for older people, when eating, cleaning and shopping are so tiring. Anyone else of my years [73] experience this? Or does this happen for younger people too?

Parents Reply Children
  • Part of it is also needing something consistent. I have had a lot of uncertainty in my life for past years, lots of moving around and lots of stress and many changes and the daily bike ride was the one thing that was predictable and consistent no matter where I wen

    I completely relate to this. Before my accident last year I ran an allotment and two gardens. Now, I've had to give up the allotment and my fitness has gone right down. I have stiff joints and find gardening hard, doing a fraction of what I did before. Yes, you get used to, and look forward to, doing the 'things you've always done' and that hives off a great deal of stress. So I know where you and   are coming from. It's regular routines that keep us from getting over stressed in hard times, even simple things like chores and cooking.

  • I can relate- my exercise routine is not ‘insane’ and I can’t do as much as I would like due to joint issues but I am very attached to what I can do. I love the outdoors and hiking and running which I sadly can’t do at the moment. Exercise helped me release stress but after I got injured and couldn’t move freely I held on to what I could do rigidly. I ride my bike every day for same distance (sadly can’t do more because of my knee) and no matter the weather etc. It can make travelling hard and it is stressful when the weather is bad. I so wish I could move freely again which would help make me more flexible with this. Part of it is also needing something consistent. I have had a lot of uncertainty in my life for past years, lots of moving around and lots of stress and many changes and the daily bike ride was the one thing that was predictable and consistent no matter where I went. I have been stuck in other routines before which were destructive (not exercise related though) but it took ages to change them as I was stuck and so scared of change even though I was suffering. It is possible to change though and it can be better- I can’t describe what triggered the changes - it’s complex, sometimes you need to be in a safer space, or reach rock bottom or external things happen but it takes time to be ready for it. I then tended to change things suddenly but that’s me

  • Thats fair. Im not sure i fully understand it myself

  • I think my asking 'why' is because I'm autistic too, when I don't understand something I just keep asking why?