The Reach Out: Jennifer Barrett
The best selling author, journalist, and head of content at Fidelity Investments says that exercising "makes me feel strong, healthy and energetic."
Jennifer Barrett is the best selling author of "Think Like a Breadwinner," a wealth-building manifesto for women who want to earn more and worry less. She's also the head of content at Fidelity Investments.
Before joining Fidelity, she was Chief Education Officer at the saving and investing app, Acorns. Jennifer started her career as a financial journalist in New York writing for The Wall Street Journal and eventually moved into management, going on to become Personal Finance Editor at CNBC Digital and a General Manager at Hearst Digital. The co-author of two other personal finance books, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.
I reached out to Jennifer Barrett to find out how she sticks with an exercise routine while juggling such a busy career.
How do you make exercise a regular part of your life?
I set the bar low. No, just kidding—sort of. The truth is: I am committed to exercising every day in some form. But I'm not out to break any records or run a marathon. I've just realized over the years that I need exercise not just for the physical benefits, but for the psychological and emotional ones as well. Exercise has been a regular part of my life now for more than two decades. Even during the busiest times of my life—like when I had two boys in elementary school and my first job in senior management—I've found a way to squeeze in some exercise.
I was diagnosed with pretty severe asthma when I was two and, initially, doctors told me I should not participate in gym or sports because of it. I was in and out of the hospital as a young kid. But when I was in college, and had better control over my asthma, my pulmonologist encouraged me to exercise so I could build up my lung capacity. I put my inhaler in my pocket, and I started running and taking aerobics classes. And it felt amazing. I was so grateful to be able to do it after having to sit on the sidelines as a kid. So it feels less like a burden and more like a gift to be able to move my body every day. I've been exercising regularly ever since.
I don’t try to push myself too hard. I just commit to getting my heart rate up. Running—even if it's just 15 or 20 minutes at a time, which is my average these days—provides such benefits. It helps clear my mind and lift my spirits. It makes me feel strong, healthy and energetic. It sets me on a healthy path for the day.
Do you have a specific workout routine?
I am pretty obsessive about running almost every morning—even if it's just 15 minutes on the treadmill. And I aim to get at least 10,000 steps a day on my FitBit, which isn't as hard as it sounds when you live in New York City. But it has become a little more challenging since the pandemic, as I've been working mostly remotely for nearly two years now. So I have to remind myself to get up and walk outside, even if it's just to the nearby park and back.
When I first joined Fidelity remotely last summer, I'd be in back-to-back Zoom meetings much of the day and sometimes wouldn't leave my desk for hours. I'd end up with back and neck pain—and sometimes tension headaches—by the end of the day. So I've gotten better about getting up and stretching and walking around at least once every hour or two.
I feel fortunate to work for a company that understands the importance of work-life balance. To that end, we block an hour each day for lunch and it’s understood that meetings shouldn’t be scheduled then. So I often walk during that time.
And I am able to disconnect in the evenings. I do a 15 or 20-minute yoga session most days after work. (I love SarahBeth Yoga on YouTube. She's really easy to follow and she's got dozens of different options from 10 to 60 minutes.) Those sessions also help me wind down after the work day and provide a nice transition between my professional and my personal life.
When the weather is bad, do you tend to change up your workouts?
Not recently, since I now mostly run on a little fold-up treadmill at home. Before the pandemic, I used to go to the neighborhood gym most days and run on the treadmill or work out on one of the ellipticals. Occasionally, I took a class. And then I'd run some days outside in the park when the weather was nice. But these days, I mostly just squeeze in a short run on the treadmill and walk outside later in the day (even in bad weather) so I can get some fresh air and some steps.
Do you wear an Apple watch or FitBit to monitor your steps?
My husband got me a FitBit for Christmas in 2019, and it's helped keep me on track during the pandemic. Even small behavioral nudges can be really effective. It pings me once an hour to get 250 steps if I haven't already. There's a virtual fireworks celebration when I hit 10,000 steps in a day, which never gets old. I need to do at least 15 minutes of continuous cardio for it to count as "exercise" on the FitBit, so I made that my minimum goal.
The FitBit also tracks and rates my sleep, and I learned that I tend to wake up 45 minutes or more each night. So now I've started going to bed earlier, and my score has jumped. I think there's a limit to the amount of data you need. But having a basic understanding of my actual sleep patterns and seeing the impact of sleeping well, exercising and walking a lot on my resting heart rate, sleep score and stress management score has been fascinating and motivating.
Do you watch the news, or listen to podcasts or music, while you exercise?
I listen to music on my iPhone when I run inside or outside. When I walk, I often listen to podcasts or talk on the phone. Since my book came out last spring, I've been fortunate to be a guest on more than two-dozen different podcasts with some really smart and inspiring hosts—from Laura Vanderkam and Sarah Hart-Unger's "Best of Both Worlds" to Farnoosh Torabi's "So Money" podcast to "Working Wife, Happy Life" with Bethanie Baynes and "The Good Life Coach" with Michele Lamoureux. I like to listen to podcasts like those, which offer smart takes and tips and lively discussions, when I can. Or catch up on calls. One of my good friends and I schedule "walk and talks" during lunch when we both take a walk and catch up by phone.
Is there something that motivates you to be such a dedicated fitness enthusiast?
Well, I've experienced the health benefits myself. My BMI is low. My body is strong and lean. I've been able to reduce the asthma medication I take. I've lowered my blood pressure. I feel better when I exercise, both physically and mentally. It's as simple as that. I may not feel like exercising when I get up, but I always feel better after I do.
Do you think we can encourage kids and teens to get more exercise?
I think it's critical that we do. We have two boys, who just turned 11 and 15, and they've both been athletic and active since they were young, playing a variety of sports. Since the pandemic, that's been more challenging. Initially, the boys spent much of their days staring at a screen—either for school or playing video games with friends.
Video games became a sort of lifeline for them when they couldn't see friends much in person, allowing them to stay connected virtually. So my husband and I let them play longer than we would have otherwise. But we started taking daily walks with them when we all moved to remote work and schooling to make sure we all got some exercise. That also provided an unintended side benefit of giving us time alone together to talk. And my oldest started to open up to me about his life and the emotions he's been experiencing during the pandemic. I really valued that alone time with him and with his brother, and I feel more connected to each of them because of it.
Now that they're back at in-person school, and hanging out with friends more after school and on weekends, we aren't able to walk every day together. But we still do it a few times a week. And I cherish that time.
It's so important to encourage kids to get active. Joining sports teams helps to keep them motivated and to learn about teamwork and develop friendships. Both our boys played baseball, soccer and basketball when they were younger. Now they each focus on one sport: soccer (our youngest) and basketball (our oldest). But they're still friends with some of their former teammates. And they also appreciate the benefits of being active. They walk a lot every day, and play basketball and skateboard with friends. Exercising regularly has become a habit for them, too—one I hope they keep for life.
I love Jennifer Barrett’s approach to keeping active and fit. She knows that even short spurts of exercise will lift her mood and boost her energy. With a busy career and family, she finds ways to incorporate physical activity into her daily life, and is a super role model for her kids.
Thank you, @JBarrettNYC
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