My mom has always been someone I admire. All my life, she’s been an advocate for health and well-being. And though she sometimes struggles (like most of us do) with balancing and managing the stresses of life, she always makes time for exercise. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but it becomes even more crucial as we get older. Staying active as we age keeps our bodies young and contributes not only to the way we look but the way we feel.

Recently, I sat down with my mom and asked her for her tips and tricks on how to keep moving even when life gets busy. Here’s what she had to say…

How often do you Exercise?

I try to exercise every single day.

What kinds of physical activity do you do?

I do yoga, stretching, walking, kayaking, a little bit of weightlifting (not much), elliptical trainer, biking, and roller skating. Roller skating is my favourite.

How do you make time to get moving?

I try to build it into my activities. When I’m drying my hair, I’m doing squats and lunges. When I’m on conference calls (that are listening mode only), I’m doing yoga stretching. I try to schedule my day to allow for an hour's worth of biking or walking or something.

What is your advice for people who want to get outside more during the day but feel like they don’t have the time?

I would say break it down into 10 minutes. Do it for 10 minutes – find ten minutes throughout the day as many times as you can and do something active. Then build on that ten-minute period and figure out which part of the day works best, and then expand on it from there.

I do that. In the morning, when I don’t have much time before I get in the car [to drive to work], I try to stretch for ten minutes minimum before my commute. And at night before bed, if I don’t have time for a workout, I at least try and do a bit of stretching before I get into bed.

Why is being active important to you?

I’m afraid of getting weak muscles. It helps fend off illness. It makes me feel better; it makes me think clearer and be more positive. It makes my body feel better generally. If I can get up and exercise before the day starts, it gets my blood pumping and makes me feel more productive.

That’s all folks

I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe even found some new exercise hacks to incorporate into your own life!