As a mom, you know you must take time for yourself, but do you?  Yahoo Health’s Dr. Maoshing Ni says there are five vital ways for a mom to increase her health and longevity.

1. Exercise Every Day
Ni says women age, they need more than ever to protect their bones and joints. Consider the benefits of a daily walk, at least 20 minutes every day. This will not only help your mother stay fit and build her bones, but it is also a wonderful way to reflect and clear the mind.  Swimming is a great form of cardiovascular exercise, and although it is not considered a weight-bearing activity, can also help fight osteoporosis. Better still, water acts as the perfect cushion for joints, great for those suffering from worn hips and knees. Additionally, gentle energy-boosting exercises like tai chi and yoga are essential for a flourishing anti-aging exercise program.

2. Frequent Fresh Water
Our body requires a certain amount to maintain our blood osmotic levels, provide the medium for circulating and excreting waste products, and cleansing our internal tissues. Ni says Centenarians around the world give credit to their native water sources for their health and long lives, because pure water sources located far from any city are free from chemicals and toxins—which is why it’s important to choose filtered water. According to Ni, the best filtration processes are the ones that use activated charcoal, which removes the impurities but leaves the water-soluble minerals. At least eight glasses of clean pure water should be consumed every day, he says.

3. Tea Time
In addition to being a delicious and low in calories, tea possesses free-radical inhibiting properties more potent than even vitamin E and also helps prevent and treat hardening of the arteries. The polyphenols in tea, especially the catechins, are powerful antioxidants that help protect against cancer and diabetes, Ni says.

4. Rejuvenate with Anti-aging Foods
When your mother told you to always eat your greens, she was looking out for your health. Ni recommends trying these following top life-extending, anti-aging foods:

• Soy contains phytoestrogen, which is a plant form of estrogen that improves the body’s hormonal balance and protects women from breast cancer. Soy is also rich in genistein, which protects against osteoporosis and other aging symptoms. Foods that are made with soy include tofu, bean curd, soymilk, soy yogurt, miso, tempeh, and the actual bean pod itself, Ni says.

• Leafy green vegetables like spinach, collards, chard, kale, mustard greens, parsley and seaweed all contain calcium and other trace minerals for bone health, as well as phytosterol activities that help balance and support the hormonal system.

• Yams and sweet potatoes are powerhouse foods that contain higher amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin C than carrots, more protein than wheat and rice, and more fiber than oat bran. They are also rich in DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) - a precursor hormone that is essential for the body’s anti-aging defenses to work, according to Ni.

• Nuts and seeds: just a handful every day can help improve circulation and muscle tone. Research indicates that many of these nuts and seeds are rich sources of vitamin E, lignans and omega-3 fatty acids, which can help prevent against heart disease and the ravages of aging.

• Deep-sea fish, such as salmon, sea bass, halibut, tuna, and mackerel are rich sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which Ni says are crucial to hormonal production and also protect the heart and blood vessels.

5. Laughter for a Long Life
Research says laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help protect the body from illness and cancer, Ni says. Laughter will also increase your mother’s release of endorphins-compounds in her brain that give her a warm and fuzzy sense of well-being.