What is wrong with me?

Nothing is wrong with you. You're perfectly normal. It's not as if you're not going out at all. If you live in a built up area it's much harder to go out for exercise. We're lucky because we live in a village so it's far easier to walk/cycle without being near other people. We wouldn't go out nearly as much if we lived where there are more people. People who feel the need to boast about how far they walk or cycle are just sad. Do what you feel comfortable with and ignore the rest.

Bless you Antonia there is nothing wrong with you!
All those that cycle/walk whatever long distances are probably those 'lycrists' that swoop past us when we are out and about in normal times.
We are not leaving the house or going anywhere unless it is absolutely vital so like you, for the first few weeks I found myself sitting around knitting, watching TV etc.
I don't know if this would help you but I too can't keep up with exercise regimes so I made my own list.

Marching on the spot or around the room x 200 - starting saying 'and' for right leg and '1' for left Then 'and' and '2' etc. meaning that each foot hits the ground 100 times!

Up and down the stairs x 6 (together not throughout the day!)

Stretch up and down x 10

Then my wall exercise (for the old knees) the sliding down to bend knees and hold x 10.

I do the marching first as my 'warm up' as I don't want to do myself a mischief.
I intended to increase each week but to be honest I struggled with the stairs one especially - now I do my exercises twice a day but doing the stairs x 3 and the wall x 5 as I can cope with them. In addition if I am sitting knitting or whatever I raise both feet, hold and slowly drop them back - I do that when I think of it.
Any exercise is good so adapt to your own needs and abilities and don't be too hard on yourself!

It is just getting into a habit. If you choose a time each day to do some stretches, maybe some jogging on the spot or whatever suits you. There are some good exercises on NHS you could try.
If you can keep at it for a few weeks, it will become part of your daily routine.

Antonia there’s nothing wrong with you.
The second week into lockdown, I felt really low. I had no motivation to do anything.
It wasn’t helped by a friend messaging me, suggesting things I could dots cheer myself up (clean out all my cupboards, write a book ) and list all the worthwhile things she was doing herself.
One day I woke up and felt a bit better. I realised that I didn’t actually have to do anything I didn’t want to.
Since then I’ve enjoyed my garden, cooking, and I’ve rediscovered the satisfaction of playing the piano.
I don’t watch the news or listen to the radio or even read worthwhile articles any more. I skim over my social media feeds.

I’m not suggesting any of these things would work for you.

But perhaps just allowing yourself to please yourself after a lifetime of work, and doing things for other people, might change things for you.

There is nothing wrong with you Antonia. It is them!
The boasters and the braggers.
This pandemic has highlighted a lot of things and there is no where to hide.
I bet you do beautiful cross stitch!

We are all coping in different ways, and no-one should feel either guilty or boastful about what they are doing. The important thing is to get through it, and come out the other end, refreshed and well.

A friend of mine in her early 70s went for a long cycle ride a few days ago and came off her bike when going over a vicious speed hump.
She is now incarcerated at home, with a broken knee cap, relying on a whole army to help ( at a distance ) her cope as husband has dementia and can do very little, even being unable to understand if she asks him to, for example, bring her a glass of water.
I don't blame her, but at the same time, you could suggest that she took a risk too far, knowing she had someone dependent on her.
Just tell yourself you are keeping safe, not only for your benefit, but for the benefit of anyone who may have to look after you if something happened to you, including the NHS. Then you can sit in superiority over all those boasters who are possibly putting themselves, and the NHS , at risk!

There is nothing wrong with you. I have been cleaning, reading, knitting and baking. I have managed a walk about every other day but the baking seems to be winning! I wonder when Slimming World will start again.......

PS If you want a daily dose of mood busting join the online choir with Gareth Malone. www.thegreatbritishhomechorus.com

Personally, the stress associated with walking locally (and are they really saying that they can walk that far in an hour!) almost outweighs the benefit of exercising! I do walk every few days but there are other ways to keep fit. It isn’t good to sit around too much, so stuff in the garden is good if you have one, otherwise some gentle warm ups indoors would be a start. There are some online videos if you look. And I would treat it just as something that has to be done for ten mins or so a day...like showering or bathing...Try to stay a little active!

The key word there Antonia was boasting
That says it all

Start gently. You can sit in your chair and exercise. Stretching arms and lifting legs. Walk on the spot sitting. I started doing Mr Motivator workout on BBC every morning at around 10.50. It is for all abilities. I have now bought one of his exercise dvds. I feel a lot better for it....no aching muscles now.

I will join you Antonia. After my stay in Hospital last year, where I could not do any exercise apart from a short walk down the corridor if I had the energy I now find that it is hard to do too much. I am also Shielded so cannot go out for a walk. When I do attempt to walk a few times round the garden my legs ache and I tire easily. I know it will be a gradual process but I do lack motivation, So you are not alone and are not an unfit frump. If that is the case then many of us are the same

I'd be tempted to write daft extreme lies, such as "Well yesterday I walked 35 miles and then climbed Ben Nevis. It was hard but I did it. Then walked home and cooked a 4 course gourmet dinner."

Antonia, I'm exactly like you, and I've just seen something on a Facebook thingy that sums it up: "Do those people who run marathons not know that they don't have to?"

So, you don't have to do anything that doesn't suit you. 15 minutes round the block is fine, cross-stitching to your heart's content is fine, you are keeping safe, keeping occupied and hopefully enjoying yourself, which is really all that matters in these odd times.

I can do nothing lovely Why worry, I don't care.
Staying germ-free is my goal, nothing else. I'm not interested in what others do or achieve.

Dear Antonia you are doing nothing wrong, those cycling or going on long walks should ensure it is all done in 30 mins, any thing longer is wrong. You are staying safe and 15 mins around the block is ensuring that you are also getting out. Like you my anxiety goes through the roof mainly due to the cyclists that think cycling on pavement is ok, it isn't. We are lucky enough to have protected meadows, rivers and canals within 2 mins of our house. Take care and stay safe. Xxx

i had a major op in january so i was just starting to do more when the lockdown started.
i had a couple of weeks when i sat around not doing much but then got fed up with the mess and dirt in my house. my daughter and grandaughters live with me but nobody does any cleaning!
so i started with the bathroom and toilet doing a little bit each day. it's taken me a week but yesterday i finished!
today i'm going to sort out the airing cupboard and will have a bag of old towels to donate to the pdsa.
before starting on the bathroom and toilet i sorted out my wardrobes and drawers in my bedroom and have two sacks and a box of clothes to go to charity when they reopen and possibly another two bags (sort out was rather overdue!).
next week i'll start on my bedroom and, after that, make my way down the stairs. my second bedroom will be left alone as that's where my daughter and grandaughters sleep and it's absolutely chaotic but that's up to my daughter to sort.
i'm shielded but on doctor's advice do a short walk around the block every day. i don't see anyone so i feel perfectly safe. and once a week i go to tesco as i don't trust my daughter to shop for my weekly essentials of bread, rolls and fruit.
i feel perfectly safe doing this so will continue to do it.

Thankyou fourfour. I am almost 83 and for 25 years have been progressively immobilized by osteo arthritis. Yout exercises are about all I can do - and I need a stick and one hand on the banisters to haul myself up and downstairs. I used to enjoy cycle touring, horseriding, swimming and long distance walking. One thing is that if I reach the floor for any reason it is very difficult to get up again involving crawling to the nearest suitable furniture and struggling on all fours. I walk with two trek poles to prevent falls on the terrible pavements round here. I would love to swim and do aquarobics at least but having to give up driving means I cannot reach a sports centre unless by very expensive taxi. Before austerity, doctors could often prescribe exercise classes for free, though nothing was offered for transport. My mind is still agile, but people in my gee group are rather regarded as expendable, although I have a new grandchild aged just 13 months whom I would like to see until he goes to school if possible

lol I just wish I could sit and cross stitch, wish I could find, online the wool cross stitch.. wish I could sit and read more than one page at a time.. wish... wish..

of course you are not doing anything wrong, wouldn`t it be a funny world if we all did the same thing?

I just lost my concentration, wish it will come back very soon, and I can sit and knit,, plain old garter stitch, wish I could read,, I have lots of books, wish I could sit at my little keyboard, deep sighs....send me some getupango go please!

We have a dog - DH does the morning walk and I do the evening one which is often the first time I’ve stepped outside if the weather is bad. But I try not to sit around too much and feel guilty if I sit down to read or watch tv. I have actually quite enjoyed trying out new recipes and improvising with what’s in the cupboard or freezer. I can’t wait for life to return to normal but it isn’t going to be soon so we just have to accept that.

If you don't normally exercise then don't feel guilty about not doing it now. I think that it is important we all find something to do that we can enjoy whether that be cycling, walking or cross-titich. have fun with it and think of all the beautiful, creative things you will stitich during this time.

Antonia why are you comparing yourself to anyone else. You have answered your own comment as exercising is not your thing. And I agree trying to dodge people is hard work when out walking.
I thing it's great you can sit there and do your sewing and sounds like you are learning a new language. You obviously have interests if fitness is not one of them, so be it.

We must be related Antonia. I want to exercise but find it so hard I hate it. If I do manage, I usually end up injuring myself so can't move for ages. Try not to be so hard on yourself and take your pleasures where YOU find them.