Day 1: Get Inspired, Get Fit

As a grandmother of three and a marathon runner, Linda Quirk knows a thing or two about staying fit on the go. When she’s not running marathons, her life is probably a lot like your readers – hectic.



Whether she’s on the road or not, it’s key for Linda to keep running younger for longer. She has some great tips for anyone striving to hit the ground running while battling a busy day-to-day life, such as:


Can’t Touch Your Toes? Stretch, Stretch, Stretch
Flexibility is one of the first and most important steps in getting and staying healthy. Improving flexibility is a gradual process and I like to do yoga to improve my range of motion. Classes are always an option, but tapes at home are my personal favorite: you can fit them into your schedule whenever you have a free hour! Yoga can become a great, relaxing reward in your own home at the end of a hard day and is a great way to exercise your body and mind.



Find Your Calorie-Burning Balance
Everyone’s metabolism and dietary needs are different. It’s important not to starve yourself or over-eat. I encourage you to eat five small meals a day, as that tends to increase your metabolism. Exercise helps increase the amount of calories you can take in, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can eat whatever you want. Eating a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein, good fats, and fiber is always going to be the best way to fuel your body no matter how hard you are working out.



Linda recently accomplished an incredible feat: completing seven marathons on seven continents in just under a year…and she’s not done yet. With the support of BP and its fuel product, BP gasoline with Invigorate – an additive which helps cars run younger for longer, Linda is beginning a new mission. She hopes to be the first woman to complete the “4 Deserts” – a series of four, seven-day-long, 155 ultramarathons across some of the most daunting deserts on Earth.