• Candace Parker says one habit makes hectic mornings more manageable as a mom of three.
• "I'm a big Peloton person, so I like to do that and lift. I also use the sauna quite a bit," she said.
• The former WNBA star says even small beauty choices can reflect how she's feeling.

Candace Parker, 39, says she relies on one habit to get going on hectic days.

"I love slow mornings, but if I need a jolt because obviously the kids have school and work and all those things, I usually get up and work out," Parker told Byrdie in an interview published on Saturday.

The former WNBA player is a mom to three kids. She shares daughter Lailaa with her ex-husband, Shelden Williams, and sons Airr and Hartt with her wife, Anna Petrakova.

On those busy mornings, Parker often turns to a mix of cardio and strength workouts to get going.

"I'm a big Peloton person, so I like to do that and lift. I also use the sauna quite a bit," she said.

From there, she gets ready for the day and says even the smallest beauty choices can reflect how she's feeling.

"It's so funny because my friends can tell if I'm having a great day or not by whether my baby hair is done," she said.

Parker says her approach to wellness has evolved over the years. Looking back, she says she would've given her younger self more grace.

"As most athletes do, I kept moving the goalposts. Sometimes, it's okay to stop and smell the roses and realize this is what you worked your whole life for. This generation actually does that better — prioritizing mental well-being and self-care. It's inspiring," Parker said.

This isn't the first time Parker has spoken about how she stays fit.

Before retiring in 2024, Parker told Boardroom in 2023 that she prioritized working out even during the offseason, focusing on "really taking care of my body and making sure I'm getting my lift in."

In 2023, Parker also told Essence that Pilates challenged her more than she expected.

"Pilates is probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," she said. "I walked in there like, 'I'm strong! I lift weights.' This grandma [instructor] killed me, so I have tremendous respect for Pilates.'"

• Peng Lin Hua, 86, taught physics in China before retirement.
• He still leads an active life — in his 50s, he started doing headstands with his wife.
• Now, he exercises daily, enjoys brisk walks, and can do flips on a pull-up bar.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Peng Lin Hua, an 86-year-old retiree in Singapore. It has been translated from Mandarin and edited for length and clarity.

Before I retired, I taught physics at a secondary school in China. While working as a teacher, I met my wife at an event. She was a chemistry teacher, and we hit it off right away.

We were as active as the students we taught, spending our free time playing badminton, basketball, volleyball, and table tennis.

In my 50s, I began practicing headstands after learning about the exercise from a Taiwanese health guru. I was already fit, but I was looking for a way to build strength and stave off aging-related illnesses.

Retirement didn't slow us down. My wife and I kept playing sports, and I continued long-distance running.

Most days, I wake up at 5:30 a.m., blend fresh apples into a puree, and have it before heading downstairs with my wife to exercise. We begin with a walk and gradually pick up the pace, incorporating light exercises like stretching along the way.

In the afternoons, at home, I like to sing with my wife. She plays the violin and the erhu, a traditional Chinese two-stringed bowed instrument.

Before I turned 65, I went running every morning. After that, my heart could no longer handle the strain, so I stopped and switched to brisk walking instead.

After that, I focus on building my core and upper-body strength with a series of exercises on the horizontal and parallel bars. I finish off my routine by doing headstands with my wife.

About 20 years ago, my wife and I began traveling regularly to Singapore to visit our daughter, who lives here with her family, and to spend time with our grandchild.

Our granddaughter has since graduated from university and no longer needs looking after, which means we are free to head out for walks and explore on our own.

About 10 years ago, I was exercising at a fitness corner, doing pull-ups and dips on the bars, when a man approached me and struck up a conversation. He joined me for my workout, and we got to know each other.

He told me he was part of a fitness group for older adults and encouraged me to join. That was how I became a member of Team Strong Silvers. We are a group of older adults committed to keeping our bodies strong as we age.

A lot of people don't expect us to move the way we do, so we're sometimes invited to healthy-aging workshops and exercise sessions to demonstrate our workouts and inspire fellow seniors to keep moving.

Now, my wife and I split our time between the two countries, typically spending half the year in Singapore during China's colder autumn and winter months, and returning to China in the spring and summer.

Staying active has spared me many of the aches and fatigue that often trouble older travelers. I rarely feel stiff on long flights or worn out after a full day of walking, and I credit years of regular exercise for that resilience.