Robert Michon | Communications Specialist , ARTA Virginia Quist | Senior Creative Designer

You ’ ve probably heard that at minimum , adults should aim to complete at least thirty minutes of moderate exercise , between four and seven days per week . The recommended amounts may vary from expert to expert or depending on your fitness goals , but most of us have been told some version of that advice . And yet , as easy as it seems in theory to get up and get moving for just thirty short minutes , it ’ s even easier ( and far more tempting ) to spend those thirty minutes sitting on the couch . Without motivation , the advice doesn ’ t really help us . But it can help to think of motivation as just another muscle , one we train over time . It ’ s a viewpoint that Margaret Inkster , one of the winners of ARTA ’ s 2022 Wellness Challenge , knows well .

Margaret , currently 83 years old , doesn ’ t consider herself to be a dedicated athlete , or even remarkable for her age . Her journey to regular physical activity has been a simple one : slow , dedicated progress , over many years .

Margaret found it easy to stay active while she was working as an elementary teacher for the Calgary Catholic School District . As any teacher can tell you , there are a lot of steps to be logged just by navigating your classroom throughout the day . But even in her off-time , she stayed active . “ Curling and golf were two activities I spent a lot of time doing

with my family during weekends and holidays ,” she says .“ Just before I retired though , I developed a frozen shoulder , which put an end to those kinds of activities .”

This kind of scenario is common as we get older , as age and injury slow us down . But Margaret didn ’ t want to stop entirely , so she looked for alternatives : gardening ,

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