The Reach Out: Joyce Vance

Along with long walks and yoga, the MSNBC legal analyst has also become a Peloton fan.

Joyce Vance is a law professor at the University of Alabama School of Law and a former U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Alabama.

She is an MSNBC columnist, NBC News and MSNBC legal analyst, and co-host of the very engaging #SistersInLaw podcast.

Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Professor Vance served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Birmingham for 18 years.

Photo: University of Alabama

I reached out to Joyce Vance to ask about the role that exercise and fitness plays in her life.

With your frequent MSNBC appearances, podcast, and teaching schedule, are you able to find time to exercise?

I've always been active. I danced, pretty seriously, growing up and continued with ballet through college and law school and even in the early years of my law practice. It was easier then to take up running and lifting weights, which we all managed to squeeze in on our lunch hours.

But as I got older, I found I needed to shift. And I developed a yoga practice that was both demanding and relaxing, something that I really love doing and that while I preferred to be in a class, I could take with me while traveling for work.

Joyce Vance doing cat yoga

I recently had shoulder surgery on a rotator cuff, so I won't be pitching again any time soon, but I'm slowly getting past the stage of regaining strength, and have added the Peloton to my yoga practice. We also have big dogs who love our walks and chickens who need to be tended, so we have a lot of "exercise" built into our daily schedules.

Have your exercise routines changed since COVID began?

It was mostly the shoulder thing for me. I was actually out for an extended period, and had to work through a lot of issues instead of getting to enjoy the extra time from not commuting during the pandemic.

Do you make an effort to break up extended periods of sitting while making TV appearances or teaching?

Yes! I'm convinced sitting is the new smoking. There's a yoga mat just to the left of the chair in front of my TV camera in the home studio and I use it religiously to stretch.

Do you keep the television on, or listen to podcasts, when you exercise?

I listen to books on Audible, music, or sometimes, I just like to unplug and relax. I'm really enjoying the Peloton rides!

I also listen to a lot of knitting podcasts.

How do you think we can encourage kids and teens to get more physical activity?

Kids model what they see going on around them, so whether it's team sports, running or something else, they need to see their parents being active.

I was raised in California and we eat a very healthy diet, home cooked meals with a big emphasis on vegetables, grains and beans and organic foods. The combination of exercise and eating with a goal of good health is what matters to me for my family.

Hiking: Joyce and her daughter

Do you tend to read law-related books, or do you venture outside your career field?

When I read a physical book, it's usually something about law, politics or history. I have enjoyed books by Anne Applebaum, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, and so many others this way.

But, I have about an hour and a half commute each way when I teach and I try to reserve that time to listen to fiction on Audible,  books I couldn't otherwise justify carving time out of my day for. 

I love dystopian young adult fiction (I suppose that's the remnant of reading it with four children), fantasy like Deb Harkness' books, and others. I'm a real sucker for these genres and will try just about anything. Like exercise, this is something that helps me relax, recharge and exercise my imagination.

Like so many people, Joyce Vance has become a Peloton enthusiast during COVID times. I agree with her that “sitting is the new smoking,” so it’s great that she has a strategically placed yoga mat for stretching.

Thank you, @JoyceWhiteVance

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