“My business evolved completely by accident,” said Kim Bercovitz, Ph.D, when I caught up with her at Convening Leaders 2016 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Bercovitz is president and chief exercise officer at Exercise Bytes, a wellness company that creates video fitness breaks and wellness lounges for conferences and trade shows.

She was also a key player in Convening Leaders’ “Be Your Best” education track, and led sessions on mindfulness, exercise, and healthy eating over the course of the show.

After 25 years researching public health, Bercovitz was inspired to start her company when the audience at a conference on bone health responded enthusiastically to a short exercise session that they could do in the workplace.

The benefits of brief bouts of exercise throughout the day go beyond mere physical fitness, actually improving our ability to absorb and retain information. “Active breaks are crucial because humans have only a 10-minute attention span,” Bercovitz said. “I’ve tested the market. I know what works, and it’s ‘bite-sized’ talks.”

Early risers attended her yoga sessions each morning at the Vancouver Convention Centre, and Bercovitz also offered 15-minute personal-wellness-coaching sessions on each day of the conference.