With a busy professional life and her children growing older, Jen realised it was time to prioritise her physical health and carve out some personal time for activity and movement.

"I want to focus more on maintaining and improving my physical health and taking time out for myself," she explains.

Jen's key to success lies in strategic planning. She advises, "You need to plan to exercise at times when you have gaps in your day, combined with the motivation to do it!"

Jen found that leaving exercise until the evening often meant it was competing with other demands for her time and attention, and would often slip down the priority list. 

To squeeze the most out of her precious free time, Jen's found ways to exercise without having to trek to the gym. Brilliant for fitting in a workout even on the busiest of days.

Beyond feeling fitter and healthier, Jen has discovered some unexpected mental health benefits.

"I have enjoyed taking some time out of a busy day to focus on myself and the headspace I get from my morning walk has been a real treat. It's become one of the best bits of my day, (if it's not raining!)".

Jen acknowledges that the biggest challenge she faces is motivation and avoiding distractions.

Her advice? "There is always something else that needs doing but knowing that consistency is key helps me to keep the motivation going, even if I have missed a few days."

She's keen to point out that it's not the end of the world if you fall behind: "Don't feel like you have failed if you miss a week, this has always derailed my efforts before, just treat every day as a new day."

To keep herself going, Jen's come up with a couple of clever tricks.

Roping in a mate for walks twice a week - for a natter and a bit of friendly motivation and sticking a telly in the garage to binge-watch shows while working out.

Jen's final piece of advice resonates with simplicity and wisdom: "Find what works for you and keep doing it, turn it into part of your routine."

By sharing her journey, Jen shows that making exercise a priority is the first step. With a bit of creativity, planning, and perseverance,  anyone can fit regular Minutes of Movement into their life, even with a busy professional schedule and family life.