The Reach Out: Dana Perino
The FOX News anchor and author makes time for Pilates, stretching, and Peloton in between her two daily shows (and admits that she's obsessed with flexibility!).
Dana Perino is co-anchor of FOX News Channel's morning news program, America’s Newsroom (weekdays 9-11AM/ET), where she speaks with newsmakers and experts about the morning headlines.
Perino also serves as co-host of The Five (weekdays 5-6PM/ET), where a roundtable of personalities discuss the day’s news stories.
She is also the host of Dana Perino's Book Club on FOX Nation's online subscription-based streaming service, and she previously anchored The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino.
The paperback edition of Perino’s book, Everything Will Be Okay: Life Lessons for Young Women (from a Former Young Woman), was released this past March.
Perino is the president of Dana Perino and Company, and the founder of Minute Mentoring, a leadership program that fosters the next generation of female leaders.
She is active in global maternal health and child development through the One Campaign and Mercy Ships, and helps American veterans suffering from PTSD through Companions for Heroes.
Perino previously served as White House press secretary for President George W. Bush, where she was the first female press secretary in a Republican administration.
I reached out to Dana Perino to ask why exercise and fitness is so important to her.
Is being active a priority for you?
I don’t sit still for too long — unless I’m engrossed in a novel! I think I get this from my mom. She absolutely can’t sit at the beach - she’s got to be moving. So I’ve been like this since I was a kid, though now as an adult I keep active to clear my mind, relieve stress, and to stay flexible.
I’ve come to appreciate — or, to put it another way, obsess over — maintaining flexibility. So I incorporate a lot of stretching, yoga, and Pilates into my daily routines. Also, I remember that Secretary Condoleeza Rice told me that humans must exercise in order to make good decisions. I think that’s absolutely true — I solve some of my toughest problems or come up with my best commentary during and immediately after exercise.
With two daily TV shows, are you able to stick to an exercise routine?
Since I have to read the news so early and be at the FOX News studios by 6:30AM, sometimes I only have time for ten or twenty minutes to shake the cobwebs out of my joints. I will often fit in a short barre or yoga class by Peloton before I finish getting ready to head to work.
I don’t get to work out in the morning, so I am fairly disciplined about getting to exercise in between shows. I will often ride my bike and mix in some strength work and a stretch.
I also take Pilates twice a week — that’s something I started after writing my first book in 2015. By the time I’d turned in the final draft, my shoulders were so hunched. I remember catching a glimpse of myself in a window and realizing I needed to do something to reverse that posture. After nearly seven years of a dedicated Pilates practice, I am able to stand much straighter and have less upper back pain. It’s been a very good investment.
Then in the evenings when I get home, I always do ten to twenty minutes of something for my posture - yoga or a deep stretch. I love Yogini Melbourne’s YouTube Channel. I’d really like to meet her one day.
Did your exercise habits change during the pandemic?
I got a Peloton bike in December 2019, so I was already well equipped when the pandemic began. I also made a January 2020 resolution to do something for my posture at least once a day. I’m happy that I’ve been able to stick to that resolution and my postural exercises have become a part of my routine. I even included that in my book, Everything Will Be Okay, which I wrote during the pandemic. If I wrote it in a book, I better stick to it!
Is there something that motivates you to keep active and exercise regularly?
I love this life I’ve been given, and I want to live it to the fullest. The surest way to be able to do that is to keep moving!
Do you use a fitness app to monitor your steps and remind you to move more?
I try not to punish myself by keeping records. I can get obsessed with numbers and hitting certain benchmarks. I just know that I must do several things a day to keep active. I check my fitness app on my iPhone, which is connected to my Peloton, and that’s a good enough gauge for me.
Do you watch the news, or listen to podcasts or music, while you exercise? Or do you tune out completely?
I take two private Pilates sessions a week, and we don’t have any music playing. Other than that, I’m usually riding the Peloton or following one of the strength or yoga routines. When the weather is nice, I like to walk to work and back and take longer walks on the weekends. I listen to several podcasts, as well as some audiobooks.
I remember during the pandemic I listened to a book about Winston Churchill and it took a couple of months to get to the end - I loved that experience.
Is there a sport or fitness trend that you would like to try?
I took up tennis in 2015, and I absolutely love it. I need a lot more instruction… and a lot more time to play. Peter and I enjoy playing tennis together. We’ve improved a lot since those early days, and it’s fun to have something to do that you can do anywhere in the world. It’s a great way to meet people and to catch up with friends. And there’s no way you can be on your phone during a match!
How do you think we can encourage young people to be more active?
Everyone is in charge of taking care of their own health and fitness. You have to make good decisions. This isn’t like loading an app and achieving immediate results — it takes commitment and effort. You’re responsible — no one else can do this for you. And if you commit to it early in your life, you’ll be so much better off than trying to get fit in your forties. Do it for yourself and those you love.
Thank you @DanaPerino
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Dana Perino is not a person I would put in a strong position as Fox has. With Bill Hemmer she studders, flubs, looks at notes excessively, and sounds like her words are coming from nose. On The Five she likes a silly school girl. I stopped watching Fox when she was put in the 3:00 spot, which obviously did not last long. She could not carry a show alone. Fox has a much more experienced group to pick from, again how is she jumping ahead of people who have the much longer. She did get her job as a press secretary when Tony Snow died.