The Reach Out: Christine Brennan
The USA Today sports columnist walks, kayaks, bikes, stretches (and then walks some more)
Christine Brennan is a USA Today sports columnist and commentator for CNN, ABC News, PBS NewsHour, and National Public Radio.
Prior to becoming USA Today’s national sports columnist in 1997, Brennan worked for the Washington Post for twelve years.
She is the author of seven books, including Best Seat in the House, Inside Edge, Edge of Glory, and Champions on Ice.
A longtime booster of women in sports journalism, Brennan was the first president of the Association for Women in Sports Media and created a scholarship-internship program that continues to benefit female journalism students.
I’ve been reading Christine Brennan’s column since a family ski trip to Utah in 1999 (I remember this because a copy of USA Today came to the hotel door each morning). I tune in for her commentary on CNN and always look forward to her Olympic Games coverage.
I spoke with Christine Brennan the morning she broke yet another major sports news story.
I know that sports have always been a huge part of your life. What are you doing to keep active and fit today?
Yes, I have been very involved in sports since I was a little girl — although I never was that little, growing to 5-foot-11. My parents were very encouraging of my participation in sports, particularly my dad, which was unusual at the time. Many parents told their daughters they couldn’t play sports. My parents told me the exact opposite. I played anything — and still basically do. I was a six-sport athlete in high school and have been active in sports ever since.
Right now, I’m doing a lot of walking and hiking with neighbors, family and friends. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I've been walking more than I ever have. I think that’s the case for a lot of us. I worked from home before the pandemic so nothing changed there, but I started doing all my TV work from home too, so it was easier to find time to go outside and walk and hike in my neighborhood in Washington, D.C., or in nearby Rock Creek Park, which is the “Central Park” of D.C., less than a mile away.
I already had a Fitbit, so it became a fun challenge to try to reach 10,000 steps a day. I’m into goals and numbers and competition, even just with myself. There was a time over the spring and summer of 2021 when I reached 10,000 steps 100 days in a row, which was pretty cool.
One of my favorite things to do in the spring and summer is kayak on the Potomac River here in D.C. It's done through a company called Boating in D.C., and with a season pass (April until Halloween), you can go out on the river as often as you’d like. I want to emphasize that this isn’t white-water kayaking; it’s flat water under very safe conditions. I probably went out 25 times in 2020, often with friends or family. It was the perfect activity during the pandemic because everyone is in separate boats. You get to spend an hour or two on the beautiful and historic Potomac with the option of kayaking in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial or going further upstream amid gorgeous wooded hillsides. It’s just great.
As far as other sports, I have a bicycle, so I occasionally ride in Rock Creek Park. I’ll go on trails or roads that are closed to traffic; I’m never around cars. Tennis was my first organized sport growing up and I’ll still play now and then. I also play golf a few times a year. My father wanted to make sure his daughters as well as his son felt comfortable on a golf course, so I’ve played all my life, and love it, but it does take up a lot of time, so nine holes a few times a year, as well as a charity tournament or two, is perfect.
Other than a lot more walking and kayaking, has your exercise routine changed in other ways during COVID?
I’ve been a swimmer for years, just to stay in shape, but when the pools closed during COVID, I started walking and working out more and I haven't gotten back to swimming. I’m sure I will at some point.
I mentioned working out because I started to see a personal trainer at the suggestion of a friend in 2018, and while that also has been cut back during the pandemic, I still do a lot of the weight-bearing exercises and stretching that she taught me and see her either outdoors or in the gym when I can. I can’t say enough about stretching, even for just a few minutes a day. It’s a fantastic way to stay in shape, especially as we age.
I’m an especially big fan of the rumble roller. If you’ve never heard of it, definitely look it up. I also have a foam roller but I like the rumble roller and its textured exterior and massage-like pressure. I actually have two rumble rollers and two foam rollers — one for home and the other travel-size. I also have a TRX, which hangs on one of my doors at home. My trainer is a big fan of it, and I love it, so I’ll throw it in my suitcase on any trip.
Is there something that motivates you to keep exercising regularly?
Nothing specific, other than just feeling great, which is motivation enough. I also think the more you do it, the more you want to do it.
I will say that core work has made a huge difference, and I give my personal trainer a lot of credit for working on that with me. Journalists sit a lot, and when I was writing books, especially in the 90’s, all of that sitting and sinking into chairs takes a toll on your lower back. Now, instead of sitting, I move around a lot. I have two laptops, in different rooms, synched up, and I’ll move from one to the other, just for a change of venue. Sometimes I’ll stand when working, and I’ll take breaks to walk around, even for a few minutes if I don’t have time to go outside.
I know we talk about all the negatives about the pandemic, and there are many, but there have been some positives as well. For me, I lost weight simply by not eating in restaurants all the time and not grabbing a pizza slice or two on the go in an airport. Think of the things you don’t eat when you’re not sitting at a restaurant: bread and butter, heavy sauces, desserts, etc. I lost 10-15 pounds that I wasn’t even trying to lose. Also, I’ve gotten more sleep because I’m not traveling as much, so that has been good as well. Bottom line, I feel more active and fit now than I did when I was younger.
How does your exercise routine change when you’re covering an Olympic Games?
My time becomes very limited, so I have to squeeze in what I can when I can. I remember swimming laps in an indoor pool at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games. I can’t imagine having the time to do that now with the 24-hour news cycle.
A few months ago at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, I stretched and used the rumble roller every morning in my small hotel room, even for just a few minutes before a CNN hit or dashing to catch an Olympic shuttle bus to, say, the swimming venue. I tried the TRX too but the room was quite small so that was more of a challenge.
A lot of walking is built into every Olympic Games, from the hotel to the Main Press Center to the venues. Walking — and running. I can’t tell you the number of Olympic buses and athlete press conferences I’ve run to over the years. Often it’s a mad dash from the press tribune at the top of an arena down several flights of stairs to the interview area — and then right back up again, often with your laptop in hand and a backpack slung over your shoulders. Covering the Olympics is a really good workout.
How do you think we can (successfully) encourage kids to get more exercise?
We definitely need to do a better job of it. We shouldn't be cutting physical education from our schools. Children need to play sports — for fun. They don’t have to be all-stars. We need after-school sports programs for everyone. Kids should be encouraged to participate, as opposed to the sedentary lifestyles that too many of them have these days, playing video games and being on their phones.
Do you watch the news while working out or stretching?
I listen to all-news radio station WTOP here in DC, or NPR, or CNN. I always have news on at home. When I’m walking, sometimes I’ll listen to a podcast, but often, I’ll return phone calls. I might as well use the time wisely.
Christine Brennan told me at least three times how much she loves what she does: being active, journalism, covering the Olympics. I love her enthusiasm for exercise and fitness, and I’m looking forward to her coverage of Beijing in February.
Thank you, @cbrennansports
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