How the Evening Standard journalists fared

Lucy Cavendish, journalist, 39

Lives with partner and has two sons aged one and seven, and is seven months pregnant with a third child. Works 45 hours a week, mainly from home and partly from office in London.

I think I'm quite fit. Running around after children keeps me pretty active. Up until about five weeks ago I was riding once, maybe twice, a week. I walk the dog about four to five times a week but, as I am now more breathless, I can't walk up hills. I walk for about 40-60 minutes. Most of those times I take the baby in his pushchair and my other son so we don't walk that fast. I've never gone to the gym or jogged but, after I have the baby, I'd like to find time to start an exercise programme - but I don't see that it will be possible unless I use the babies as weights. Swimming in my small pool when the children are asleep - weather permitting - may be the answer.

Norman Lebrecht, author/broadcaster, 55

Married with three daughters. Works 60 hours a week.

I'd love to make the gym first thing in the morning but instead I take a brisk 15-minute walk every morning, and an hour's weekend tramp to Hampstead Heath or along Regent's Canal. I love swimming but I can't find a friendly big pool near home or work. I simply hate gyms and all synthetic forms of exercise, but the brain works on oxygen and cannot maintain coherent thought without activity. So I make sure I get up at least twice an hour, every hour, and stride about. When at home, I fit in a little more exercise by running up and down five flights from my office to the basement library. Much better than a step machine.

Andrew Neather, comment editor, 39

Married with two children. Works approx 50 hours per week, in an office.
Despite the fact that there is a small gym in the bowels of my office, I see it perhaps once every three weeks. It's pathetic, I know, but there just aren't enough hours in the day. Newspaper deadlines make it hard to get away during the day. I start work before 7am most days, and at the end of the day I just want to dash home to see my children before their bedtime. So my exercise consists of housework, lifting children and charging around between work, home and meetings. I'm also a terrible fidget, which I have read stops you getting fat. Hey, at least I'll never get any sports injuries.

Verdict: Pull your socks up! A young family makes it hard, so why not think about active travel?

Anthony Hilton, financial editor, 57

Married with four children. Works 60 hours a week.

I started running at school, and never really stopped. During the week I get up at 4am, and in winter I spend 40 minutes on the rowing machine, or I run for 40 minutes. In summer, I cycle from my home to the local station, which is 40 minutes, then cycle from Liverpool Street to my office in Kensington - another 30 minutes. If I have a lunch, I cycle to that, too. I don't cycle at weekends, but I will go for an eight-mile run, and row to improve my upper-body strength. Doing this much exercise means I can eat and drink as much as I want and, more importantly, I don't think I would be able to cope with my workload if I wasn't fit. I find cycling therapeutic - when you're going round Hyde Park Corner, there isn't really time to think about what is going on in the office.

Rachel Cooke, writer, 34

Lives alone. Works 50 hours a week, from home.

I loathe gyms and don't play team sports. But I really wanted to fit in something on a regular basis, so for the past two years I have used a personal trainer, Gill Phelps. She comes to my house at 9.30am twice a week for an hour (I'm lucky because I work at home). Usually, we go to the park, where we run, do circuits, press-ups, tricep dips etc. If it's really pouring, we stay indoors and use a gym ball for toning work. The great thing is you can't get out of it; you can't make excuses to yourself because she is standing on the doorstep. To fund my trainer, I got rid of my cleaner. So housework has become my other form of exercise. I do two hours a week, plus two hours gardening on Sundays.

Emine Saner, journalist, 25

Lives with her boyfriend. Works up to 65 hours a week.

I try to swim during my lunch break for 30 minutes, twice a week, at the gym opposite the office. But sometimes I'm just too busy, or too tired, or hungry ... I don't like to exercise in the evenings, as I often finish work too late, or if I do finish earlier I want to see friends. I'd like to fit in a yoga session once a week, too, to help with stress, and the effects of sitting at my desk. I should be stricter with myself, I suppose.

I learned to surf in Cornwall last year and I'm determined to take it up again this summer. My job involves lots of rushing around, so I keep fairly fit.

Verdict: Set the alarm! She needs to exercise first thing, before she gets hungry or too busy.