Mummy to Ben (5), Becks (4) and Nat (2), Elizabeth is also known as Motherkao, a spunky stay-home mom, hands-on mom, home-teaching mom, work-from-home freelance writer and curriculum planner.

Recently, the 33 year old mum has been appointed as one the influencers for this year’s #RunToLiveGreat programme, a new initiative by Great Eastern Women’s Run to encourage non-runners to take that first step towards healthier and better living.

So why is maintaining a healthy and fit lifestyle so important, especially for mums? We asked Elizabeth to share her thoughts with us.

Hi Elizabeth! Sounds like you have so many things on your plate! How does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day sees me moving and working from the get-go. I send my kids to kindergarten, then to enrichment classes, and then do my grocery and errand runs for the family while they are at school. I’ve recently started my own business and I am also writing curriculum, teaching classes and managing various business aspects. I also do freelance writing and curriculum design, as well as maintain a blog.

I “squeeze in” doing work during pockets of free time like doing up a curriculum unit while waiting for piano classes to end or replying emails and drafting blog posts during the kids’ weekly 105 minutes Chinese class. When we are home by evening, I would cook dinner, read to my children and do some home learning with them and tuck them in bed. I usually continue working after 10pm for a few more hours after everyone’s in bed.

What’s your secret to juggling so many commitments and still finding the time to commit to a healthy lifestyle?

No secret! I tell myself I just have to do it! Work is needed. Being a full-time mother for the kids is needed. Exercise is needed. Getting fresh air is needed. Eating homecooked food and eating well is needed. And since everything is needed, I just have to make it all happen!

Do you ever get lazy and skip exercising or overindulge in food?

Of course! I find it hard to want to gear up and go for a run on lazy days, and I love my fried food!

What do you do to keep fit? What’s your exercise routine like?

I try to get my heart pumping by climbing the stairs, playing catch with my kids and going for a jog around the estate. It’s hard to have a fixed routine with the busy schedule I have, really. Which is why I appreciate being in the #RunToLiveGreat programme because they organise monthly fringe activities and invite me to workout with women who want to keep fit too.

Elizabeth (third from the left in the middle), working out at a group body combat session

You’ve been appointed as one the influencers for this year’s #RunToLiveGreat programme, a new initiative by Great Eastern Women’s Run to encourage non-runners to take that first step towards healthier and better living. Why do you think it’s important to keep a healthy and fit lifestyle, especially for mothers?

Mothers have little humans who are dependent on them, and a healthy mother can give so much more to her children than an unhealthy one.

Any tips on how mothers can look after their families and themselves at the same time?

Eat right, get lots of fresh air, carve time out for solitude, exercise when you can and enjoy every stage of motherhood because every stage comes only once.

What sort of exercises would you recommend to a new mummy?

I’m not an expert or a professional trainer, and all I can say is just try to fit something in somehow even if it means running or crawling after the kids 15 minutes a day or going outdoors (like the beach or kite flying) a week.

Most mothers are dead tired by the end of the day, where and how do you find the energy to still exercise?

I am usually dead tired too. If I don’t have the energy, I’ll try to find it tomorrow. Even if it means climbing the stairs instead of taking the escalator.

Lastly, complete this sentence. “I choose to keep fit because…”

The little humans in my life need me.

Elizabeth Wu will be taking part in the Great Eastern Women’s Run 2014 on 9 November 2014.

For more information, go to Great Eastern Womens Run Facebook Page.

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