Bridging Gender Exercise Gap: Balancing Home Chores Key Start

Finding Time for Exercise: A Challenge for Mothers

Finding time to exercise can be challenging, and research indicates it’s particularly difficult for mothers. Lyndall Strazdins, a researcher from the Australian National University, notes that lack of time is the most common reason people cite for not being more physically active. This is especially true for women, who face an increasing gender gap in physical activity over time.

Strazdins’ research, published in 2022, reveals a significant gap in physical activity levels between men and women in heterosexual couples with children. The study utilized data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, focusing on how both paid work and unpaid domestic responsibilities impact physical activity. The findings show that as family demands increase, women’s opportunities for physical activity decrease, whereas men’s opportunities remain relatively constant.

Why Women Exercise Less Than Men

It is well established that women perform more unpaid labor in the home and thus have less leisure time than their male partners. The gender exercise gap starts young and continues into adulthood. Rebecca Ahern, head of VicHealth’s This Girl Can campaign, notes that six out of ten women report being more active before having children.

According to Strazdins, women have less leisure time, and the quality of that time is often fragmented. Women often try to combine exercise with other responsibilities, such as childcare or errands. The challenge of integrating exercise into a high-care environment is significant.

Other barriers to women’s physical activity include safety concerns, “mum guilt,” cost, unwelcoming environments, fear of judgement, and decreased body confidence post-children.

How Men “Borrow” Women’s Time

Strazdins’ research also found that men often “borrow” time from women to maintain their own exercise routines. For instance, even when women work fewer paid hours, men are more likely to use any “free” time for their own exercise, rather than women being able to use that time for themselves. Strazdins argues that men’s time for jobs and health is “protected,” whereas women’s time is “squeezed.”

Addressing Work-Life Balance for Fathers

Strazdins also points to the societal tendency to prioritize economy over health. Many men express regret and sadness about feeling “locked out” of caring for their children due to work commitments. According to Strazdins, the way society values economy above all else is costing us our health.

Strategies to Close the Exercise Gap

Strazdins argues that the global “crisis” of insufficient physical activity contributes to a host of health issues, from cardiovascular to cognitive. She suggests that evening up care hours in the home, allowing both men and women to have sufficient time to stay healthy, is a key step in closing the exercise gap.

Joys Njambi, a mother from Naarm/Melbourne, has managed to stay active by participating in “mum and bub” classes, exercising in increments, and taking short walks during work days. Rebecca Ahern also emphasizes the importance of being “really intentional” about carving out time to exercise. She walks her kids to school for incidental exercise and goes to the park with them for more active play. Ahern reminds women that “little bits” of activity count and urges them not to be too hard on themselves.