The Reach Out: Field Yates
How does the ESPN NFL Insider, co-host of the Fantasy Focus Football podcast, and new dad stay active and fit?
Field Yates is an ESPN NFL Insider who provides analysis, breaking news, and fantasy football insights across all of ESPN’s multimedia platforms.
Yates co-hosts ESPN’s Fantasy Focus Football podcast with fantasy experts Matthew Berry, Stephania Bell, Mike Clay and Daniel Dopp, and co-hosts the First Draft podcast with draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay.
Yates also hosts the Fantasy Football Now pregame show on Sundays, and is part of ESPN's Monday Night Football digital pregame show, Monday Tailgate.
Yates writes for ESPN.com and contributes to NFL Live, Sportscenter, ESPN Radio's Primetime, The Fantasy Show with Matthew Berry, the Fantasy Football Marathon, and ESPN's NFL draft coverage.
I spoke with Field Yates about why having a regular workout routine is an important part of his life.
How do you try to make being active part of your life?
I’ve recently become a father and something that’s been reinforced for me is the importance of self-care. My wife and I have talked about how we each need to take a little time for ourselves — and that includes exercising — because it makes us feel better, which, in turn, allows us to be better parents.
The same philosophy applies to my career. I work in an industry that doesn't have many quiet periods throughout the year. Any day, something massive can happen at any moment. That’s why I think it's essential to prioritize health and fitness — it makes me a better reporter, analyst, and host. I've found that a bit of balance goes a long way towards optimizing both my personal and my professional life.
Are you a morning exerciser? Is that even possible with a new baby?
I’m almost exclusively a morning workout person, though when my schedule dictates otherwise, I will squeeze something in later in the day. Overall, though, I think that 95% of the workouts I do over the course of the year are completed before noon.
Do you have a specific exercise routine?
Living in New England means being bound by the seasons, so while I try to keep my exercise routine relatively dynamic, it looks pretty much the same during the football season. In the winter, I use the Peloton more often. I’ve always been a skier, and that has only intensified since first meeting my wife, who spent much of her childhood in Colorado and is a tremendous skier. In nicer weather months, I like to golf quite a bit, even if my ability is not reflected in that passion.
Is the Peloton a COVID-era workout?
Like many people, when my wife and I realized that our gym might be closed down for a while, we decided to add the Peloton. We both immediately took to it. My wife was pregnant, but she had amazing energy and stamina for Peloton workouts. So we found it to be a very COVID-friendly way to maintain an exercise routine.
Do you watch or listen to sports while working out?
When I’m doing a Peloton class, I listen to instructor, but when I’m weightlifting, running, or doing any exercise that doesn’t require attention like the Peloton does, I am a huge podcast listener.
Ironically, I prefer to listen to podcasts about sports that I do not cover. I guess it's a little bit of an escape. I will listen to a football podcast from time to time, but I tend to gravitate towards other sports, which means I have a steady stable of basketball podcasts that occupy a lot of my workout time.
Do you wear a fitness monitor?
I’m an Apple watch junkie. I think the 'three rings' can provide people with both motivation and gratification: If it’s 8PM and your watch says you have 100 calories more to burn -- and you're on the couch watching sports or Netflix -- that can be a bit daunting. On the other hand, after a long walk with my daughter and our dog this morning, I had already accomplished a lot of my fitness goals very early in the day.
Is there a fitness activity or sport that you would want to try?
I ran the Chicago Marathon about ten years ago and even though I remember how intense and time-consuming the training was, every now and then, I do get that itch to do another one. Marathon training provides the kind of structure that I like, and obviously there's a sense of accomplishment that comes with completing that goal.
That being said, we’ve just begun to navigate the realities of having one child. If we end up having more children, I realize that my time will become even more limited.
Field Yates spends a lot of time thinking, talking, and writing about football, so I’m glad that he makes time for (non-football-related!) exercise.😀
Thank you, @FieldYates
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