No time to exercise or just too tired? What’s stopping Singapore women from working out

SINGAPORE – After sending that last e-mail at 9pm, throwing together a load of laundry and lying in bed doomscrolling, you tell yourself that you will wake up early tomorrow and squeeze in a workout before work. But you do not.

It is a loop familiar to a lot of women in Singapore, and it usually ends with the same excuse: I just don’t have the time. But the numbers tell a messier story.

I’m too busy

Almost three in four women in Singapore exercise at least once a week, according to Her World’s What Women Want 2026 survey. That is hardly the profile of a nation that is too lazy to move.

And yet, when the same women were asked what stops them from exercising as much as they would like, “lack of time” topped the list at 24.8%, followed closely by physical fatigue (22.9%) and the lack of motivation (21.9%).

The survey also found that over a third of respondents work out three or more times a week, while a significant 23% rarely exercise. It points to a real split between the committed and the barely there.

So, is “no time” really the whole story or a convenient stand-in for something else?

Sheril Natasha Camelia, senior exercise experience coach at Virgin Active Singapore, does not think the question should even be framed around laziness.

“We don’t think it’s helpful to reduce the conversation to whether people are simply ‘lazy’,” she says. “Most of our clients, regardless of gender, genuinely want to exercise. But the reality is that demanding careers, family responsibilities and other commitments can cause them to push their personal wellness and fitness goals aside.”

Over time, she notes, that inconsistency compounds, which leads to fatigue and lower motivation, so the three top barriers cited by respondents are not really separate problems – they are a single feedback loop.

The survey was conducted in March and April with 200 Her World readers.

The median age was 46.4 years, with the largest groups falling between 50 and 55 (18%) and above 55 (20.5%). The majority are married (62%) and hold at least a bachelor’s degree (52%). Most are employed across professional and managerial roles, with 12% not working, retired or unemployed.

I’m too tired

Fatigue shows up twice in this survey: once as a reason women give for not exercising, and again as something that affects their life. Close to half of the respondents report joint aches or generalised body pain; 31% report persistent fatigue; 28% report increased injury-proneness or back pain; and 23% report muscle weakness.

When faced with such symptoms, some may treat them as a sign that their bodies are too worn out to exercise.

But here is the plain fact: A body that does not move regularly is also more prone to stiffness, weakness and low energy. That means fatigue is not necessarily what is stopping people from exercising. Instead, it may just be what is happening because they are not exercising.

This is something that Sheril sees in her own clients. “Consistency matters more than perfection,” she says. “A routine that people can realistically stick to will always outperform the ‘perfect programme’ on paper. Even 10 to 15 minutes of purposeful movement can have a meaningful impact when done consistently.”

In other words, the fix for “I’m too tired to exercise” may sometimes be a small amount of exercise.

Other barriers

The cost of keeping a healthy physical lifestyle is another barrier.

One in 10 respondents from the Her World survey cite the price of classes or gym memberships as a hurdle to exercising as much as they would like. It is the one item on the list that has nothing to do with willpower, motivation or time management.

There is also the question: Is the fitness boom in Singapore actually closing the exercise gap or mostly serving people who are already active?

“The rise of run clubs, group training and dedicated classes has made movement feel more accessible and social, rather than something that people have to tackle alone,” Sheril notes. “While these communities naturally appeal to people who already enjoy exercise, the social aspect can also play an important role in helping newcomers build confidence.”

In other words, community fitness culture may not be reaching the women who rarely or never exercise, but it might help lower the intimidation factor for those who are on the fence about exercising.

And it is no longer just about aesthetics. According to Virgin Active’s own data, physical wellness and mental well-being are the top reasons for exercising, with an overwhelming 85% of respondents saying that they feel “constantly on the go” and want to slow down to prevent burnout.

“People are far more likely to stick with exercise when it’s something they have an intention for and genuinely enjoy,” Sheril says.

Starting with small steps

Her advice for those convinced they have not enough time echoes that same philosophy: Stop looking for more hours in the day and start fitting movement into the life you already have.

“For clients with busy schedules, we recommend shorter, high-quality workouts,” she suggests. “For those feeling fatigued, we first look at recovery, sleep, nutrition and stress because, sometimes, the right session is a lower-intensity workout, rather than pushing harder for the sake of it.”

What Women Want 2026 survey findings

What prevents women from exercising as much as they would like