Vlada Musvydaitė: water is the secret of my wellness

Vlada Musvydaitė is not only a well-known sports journalist and organiser of mass fitness events and health motivator, but also a mother of two children. Vlada herself makes no secret of the fact that her life is very dynamic: she wants to keep up with her sport, she needs to organise her team's work, and she can't leave her family behind. How does she manage to balance work, leisure and family life?

Vlada, you are not only a fitness motivator, but also an organiser and presenter of various sports events. How do you balance your work, leisure and family?

I have tried many sports, and I used to be a professional athlete myself - I was the Lithuanian 400 metres hurdles champion. I have a lot of activities and I cherish the time I spend with my children - my son Ben, who will soon be eight, and my nine-year-old daughter Ula.

It may seem strange to some, but I spend most of my time walking. My children and I walk together whenever we have a spare hour, and we count our steps with the #walk15 app. We create our own routes and try to go as far as we can - we're adventurous, so we get into it quickly.

I have already gathered a lot of people for the walking festivities and this year I also invite everyone to join us on 16 September for a walk in Anykščiai and a week later, on 23 September, to head to Jūrmala beach! The point of all these events is to show that movement and sport with the whole family is an easily compatible and fun way to spend time!

It used to be just a dream, maybe even strange to some, but now I'm an organiser of international wellness events and I have a solid team in place. My example proves once again that stubbornness, belief in what you are doing and enthusiasm can move mountains!

What advice can you give to people who want to keep fit?

It's probably no surprise to hear that the most important thing is a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise. Don't shut yourself in, get out into the streets and parks of your cities or towns. You will be surprised how many interesting places are "hidden" right next door to your house or apartment building! That's why I created the #walk15 app, which not only counts your steps, but also allows its users to share the scenic routes they have discovered.

I live the lifestyle I advise my clients and friends to live: I move a lot, eat healthy and don't take any special products or supplements, but I have recently discovered ionised alkaline water, which I really like and helps me to maintain a good physical and emotional state.

What makes this water special?

The water is prepared using a water ioniser, which is small and visually similar to a kettle. It saturates the water with ions and makes its pH alkaline. Probably one of the things that surprised me the most was that washing fruit or vegetables with ionised alkaline water not only makes them easier to wash, but also gives them a completely different, fresher taste. And once I have tasted coffee brewed with this water, I don't want any more!

In short, ionised alkaline water helps to maintain the balance of alkalis and acids in the body, strengthen the body's immune system, and remove accumulated toxins. It is a natural antioxidant. So much can be contained in one glass of seemingly ordinary water.

And how do you convince your children to drink water?

With a water ioniser, it's easy to do, because the thing itself is fun for children and the water tastes really good. It is very nice that children are slowly getting used to drinking water, and that they now prefer it to the various sugary soft drinks that we have in our shops.

I recently listened with a smile to my son Ben telling his seven-year-old friend that you need to drink a lot of water to stay strong. In fact, this is very important for people who play sport - they need much more of it. My son is in football training four times a week and my daughter spends a lot of time in the stadium because she is in athletics, so it is very important to me as a mother that they do the right kind of sport for their bodies, and I stress that to my clients and friends. I also teach my children that it is not enough to move a lot, but to take care of your body: not only to drink enough water, but also to eat right and think about what you eat and drink!