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The aim of the present study was to illuminate how middle-aged women in Denmark manage, practically and emotionally, exercise in personal leisure time within the constraints of an ongoing time bind related to the societal obligations of work and family. The study was inspired by the micro sociological perspective of Arlie Hochschild, and findings are based on empirical material from focus groups of middle-aged Danish women who completed a three months research based exercise intervention (N = 51), and individual follow-up interviews (N = 21). We elucidate how the societal obligations of being successful at work, being a good mother, and being physically active creates a time bind in the everyday life of middle-aged women. Instead of having more leisure time, middle-aged women experience continuous time demands of work flexibility and performance, as well as new time demanding care duties linked to their children, parents, or grandchildren. We conclude that the personal leisure time of Danish women, exemplified by participation in an exercise intervention, is highly constrained by the time bind of market culture. Furthermore, prioritisation of personal leisure time involves considerable emotion management as a consequence of being unable to fulfil the societal obligations of their usual roles.
Hybholt et al. (Sun,) studied this question.