Recent research has highlighted a simple yet effective health strategy: taking two-minute breaks to stand and move around. According to The New York Times, these brief moments of moderate activity each hour can lower your chances of early death by nearly 30%. As a parent, I often find myself longing for uninterrupted moments in a chair—along with the luxury of using the restroom solo. That dream is elusive. The moment I sit down, my kids swarm me with requests: “Can we go outside? Can you take me to the store? Can we bake cookies? I’m hungry!” It can be overwhelming, yet I’ve come to realize that these incessant demands might just be contributing to a longer life. Based on this insight, here are a few other ways motherhood may be helping me live longer.
Unintentional Dieting
I can hardly recall the last time I enjoyed a meal at home without facing a barrage of interruptions. One child needs a fork, another insists on Parmesan cheese, and soon someone’s explaining a playground incident while another spills water all over the table. By the time I manage to eat, my food is cold and unappetizing. And if, by some miracle, I get to enjoy a hot meal, my kids believe it’s their right to claim the best portions—meatballs, dumplings, you name it—leaving me with barely anything.
Mandatory Sobriety
I fondly remember the days when coming home from work meant pouring a glass of wine to sip while cooking, followed by another during dinner, and perhaps a nightcap with my partner. Those times are long gone. Now, cooking coincides with homework sessions, where I juggle math problems and vocabulary drills while trying not to burn dinner. Evening activities—like taking the kids to sports practices, religious classes, and school meetings—demand my full attention. Although I wouldn’t mind a cocktail at those PTA meetings, I now pour myself that glass of wine only after 9:30 p.m. By then, I usually finish half before it ends up on the floor as I drift off while watching the previous night’s episode of a show.
Compulsory Fitness
To bond with my son, I find myself constantly engaged in various sports—soccer, hockey, or lacrosse—he doesn’t care which as long as I’m playing. There’s no escaping the myriad of “games” that require my participation, whether it’s kickball or impromptu tag. I’m exercising without even realizing it.
If this whirlwind of activity and lifestyle changes is what it takes to keep me around longer, I’m all in. I envision myself in the future as that spirited elderly woman with tattoos, enjoying life on the shuffleboard courts in Vero Beach, Florida, while catching some z’s—standing, of course.
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In summary, motherhood may come with its challenges, but it also offers unexpected health benefits. From unintentional dieting and mandatory sobriety to compulsory exercise, these experiences seem to contribute positively to longevity.