Only because the purpose of modern life is to work rather than working to live life.

There’s no need for people to work 8 to 10 hours a day, and commute 30+ min in an automobile.

Rather than use our technological efficiencies to improve quality of life now, we use them to compete with others to increase probability of securing quality of life in the future.

We only use them to compete with others because others use them to compete with us, keep up or starve. The equilibrium is whatever people are willing to do, strangely meaning that nobody has a choice in this thing that we’ve all chosen.

No idea how to switch to new dynamics so that defecting (in the sense of working less) is the stable equilibrium.

You have to legislate standards. For example, overtime payrate multipliers after 6 hours of work in a day / 24 hours in a week / 4 days in a week. Minimum PTO accrual such that people get at least 30 days per year.

Then this elevates to international and there are nations that just wouldn’t do that.

And yet, the population of people who commit to this is pretty solid. Every gym is populated with regulars who show up most days, no matter the kind of jobs or the size of family they have at home. You have to be slightly more creative now, with gyms being closed... but a little equipment can go a long way.

It's completely doable, as long as you see it that way.

I agree, it's a lot. Most people would benefit if they curb their calorie intake, instead of trying to lose weight primarily from exercise.

Do a long run/ride on the weekend. There's no rule that says one's workout sessions have to all be the same duration.

I suspect eating less is far more palatable than 50 minutes of exercise per day.

You have to do both -- the body needs proper stressors.

It sounds like a lot because it is a lot. You don't need to workout six days a week to reap the benefits. With fitness, the difference maker is being consistent in the long term and not burning yourself out.

Consider it an investment to add minutes to the end of your life.

Walk to work instead of driving?

But walking is rather easy and does not really count as demanding exercise, at least if there's almost no elevation change.

Also, I only need about 12-13 minutes for my walk to work, so I get only 25 per day - surely better than nothing but not enough to really counter work sitting at a desk 8 to 10 hours a day.

Pre-COVID and WFH becoming normal, I had a short commute. Only 6 miles.

Many places, walking to work is a joke.

Well, 6 miles sounds about right for a 30min bike commute to work. Do that each way and you’ll have a daily hour of exercise without having to step foot in a gym.

This. I know many folks who have a 30min - hour commute each way (pre-pandmaic). If they lived a bit closer, and spent that time walking to/from work instead of driving, there you go.