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Do we all have the same 24 hours in the day?

By Brian Foley from Activate Fitness
Anyone who knows me or has been reading my columns/blogs for any length of time, you already know that I get really upset when I think someone is being taken advantage of, or if I see someone making elitist and misguided judgements against anyone based on their appearance or lifestyle.
That’s why, when someone recently said the following to me I got a little upset:
“The majority of the population don’t get results because they lack the self-discipline and probably could benefit from at least pushing past sitting on the couch every day.”
My argument against most ‘fitness influencers’ and even some supposed fitness professionals in general is that the regimes, typically six to 12 weeks, they take their clients through are punitive and have no lasting value. They don’t teach people anything about their relationship with food and their bodies, and they can be physically and emotionally harmful.
But anyway, I initially didn’t answer the comment that this person made because I don’t tend to argue with people whose minds are already set, and their information is gleaned from David Goggins for psychology and 'Men's/Women's Health Magazine' for physiology, I typically just leave it.
People have the right to disagree with me, and why argue?
Afterwards, someone who overheard this conversation asked me why I didn’t engage.
I didn’t respond to the comment because I don’t agree with what was said about ‘self-discipline’ and ‘sitting on the couch all day,’ which is exceptionally ableist.
Besides the fact that the comment implies that overweight/unfit people do nothing but sit on the couch all day, which makes steam come out of my ears, what they said is very similar to the meaning behind the quote, “we all have the same 24 hours in the day”.
I’ve seen this 24 hours comment a lot, especially in 'Nutrition Challenge' and fitness circles. It drives me absolutely insane.
Here’s just a few quotes I pulled from online:
“No one is too busy in this world. We all have the same 24 hours. It’s all about priorities.”
“People tell me: “I don’t have the time to do this business.”, Lies; We all have the same 24 hours in a day. You make time for what you want. No excuses.”
“We all have the same 24 hours in a day. If someone else seems to be accomplishing more than you, they’re sacrificing more than you.”
When I look at these quotes, all I see is blame and humiliation.
Is it just me?
No excuses?
Is everyone else sacrificing more?
Lack of direction?
These things don’t even enter into the equation for an entire cohort of the population. Posting or saying any of this shows a complete lack of insight into the real-life struggles that others have.
Not only that, it rubs their faces into these struggles.
I’m pretty sure that when someone throws around the ‘same 24 hours in a day’ thing, they’re just trying to make themselves feel good by making other people feel like crap.
And although they’re meant to be ‘inspirational,’ these sayings shame others into feeling as though they aren’t trying hard enough to meet other peoples’ expectations for them.
Needless to say, it’s nobody’s job to meet YOUR expectations of how you think they should be running their life.
There are a lot of reasons why someone might not work out, or be ‘successful’ in meeting their health and fitness goals, but I’m willing to bet that none of these reasons are simple.
People are complex, and to sum them up in a blanket comment doesn’t do them justice, nor is it fair.
Sure, the laws of time apply to everyone. Nobody has 27 hours in a day.
But real life, not ‘excuses,’ can impact a person’s ability to just ‘get off the couch’ and live a life that’s the stuff of an inspirational quote.
No matter how hard some people work, life still challenges them beyond their capabilities.
Yes, there are always outliers, and their stories are the ones that make it into the media.
Someone who was living in abject poverty, with no home and living on Social Welfare and who is now the CEO of some company.
Even some ‘fitness gurus’ have “failure to success” stories.
People love this stuff, and it’s great for marketing and sales.
But the majority of people have lives that won’t turn out that way, and that has nothing to do with their level of motivation or the number of hours in their day.
Next week read Part Two where we look at some research as to why many people are challenged when it comes to fitness due to things that can throw a spanner in the works of even the most persistent of people.
News
Ireland’s oldest citizen has Killarney connections
Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week. Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections. The previous record […]

Ireland’s oldest woman met with President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin this week.
Máirín Hughes, who turned 109 on May 22 has strong Killarney connections.
The previous record was held by 107-year-old Nancy Stewart who died on September 10 2021.
Although born in Belfast, Máirín went to school in the Mercy Convent. Her father was a customs and excise officer and the family moved around a lot eventually coming to Killarney after spells in County Down and Dublin.
Her mother came from the Rathmore area and her father was from Newmarket in County Cork.
She attended the Mercy Convent and has, in previous interviews, recalled growing up on the shores of Lough Lein.
“Neighbours who had three children were given the job of taking me to school,” she said. “They were annoyed because the children were going to school for two or three years but I was put in to the same class as them – my mother had taught me.”
In 2021 she featured in the book ‘Independence Memories: A People’s Portrait of the Early Days of the Irish Nation’, sharing stories of being kept in school in Killarney during an attack on the RIC barracks down the road.
In 1924 she started a degree in science and a diploma in education at University College Cork, before working in the pathology lab in University College Cork’s Department of Medicine for 16 years.
last year she recalled her story on the podcast: ‘Living History – Irish Life and Lore’.
During the broadcast she talked about her parents’ membership of the Gaelic League in 1910; the Spanish Flu in Ireland in 1918; The Black and Tans in Killarney in 1921; the early days of the new Free State; Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932, visiting the Basket Islands in 1929; and working in the UCC medical laboratory from 1932 until 1948.
This week President Michael D. Higgins hosted an afternoon tea event to celebrate the important role that a variety of people have and can play in different communities and Máirín was among the guests of honour.
News
Philip is running over 100kms for Cancer charity
Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday. Phillip has already […]

Local runner and charity fundraiser Philip Kissane is set for the biggest challenge of his career as he lines up for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday.
Phillip has already completed four half marathons at various locations around Killarney – all in aid of Kerry Cancer Support Group – or the Cancer Bus as it popularly called.
This is the second time that Phillip has run four half marathon and an official race for the charity.
Back in 2021 he finished with 5km Run Killarney event but his finishing race this time around is over eight times the distance at 42kms.
“We are delighted with Philip’s continued fundraising support but also with his awareness raising for the charity,” Breda Dyland, Service Manager Kerry Cancer Support Trust.
“We are getting busier all the time and still get no statutory funding so are dependent on fundraisers like Philip’s to keep us on the road. We have just put our new wheelchair accessible bus on the Cork route so Philip’s funding will be going towards the operation of this vehicle.”