The Reach Out: Michael Steele
The MSNBC political analyst and host of the Michael Steele podcast is not a fitness fanatic, but he is motivated to keep active (and his wife sets a great example)
Michael Steele is an MSNBC political analyst, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, and a former Lt. Governor of Maryland.
On The Michael Steele Podcast, Steele speaks with a wide range of guests about current political and cultural issues.
Steele has been a frequent guest on Real Time with Bill Maher and has contributed to The Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Grio, The Root, The Washington Times, Townhall, and The Journal of International Security Affairs.
I spoke with Michael Steele about unintentionally walking 25 miles, stepping away from Zoom, and glorified racquetball.
What role does exercise and fitness play in your life?
I've never been an athletic person. I joke a lot about my lack of athleticism even though I was a quasi-athlete — a soccer player and a fencer — in high school and college. But I didn't like traditional athletic sports like basketball or football, even though I tried out for both (and was horrible at both). So I found other ways to keep active — for example, when I was young, I loved dance, so I took ballet.
I will admit that exercise is not an everyday thing for me anymore, even though I know it should be! Nowadays, I will use the Elliptical and the stationary bike in my basement, and I like walking.
Do you have a set workout routine?
No. I will be honest — it’s a challenge to motivate myself to exercise.
If I have an early start on Morning Joe, I'm out of the house at 5:30am, and I am not going to work out at 4am — that is not happening. I also don’t go to bed until 1:30 or 2am.
I also don’t like getting all sweaty in the afternoon because I’ll need another shower. You can see where I'm going with this — the question becomes when will I do it?
So I play a bit of a game with myself: When are you actually going to go down in the basement to work out?
I have an easier time on the weekends because I’m not rushing out of the house.
No matter what, my wife will look at me and say, “You need to find that young, active man and get your behind down there and work out!”
Does your wife enjoy exercising more than you do?
Yes, my wife is a power walker — she walks literally 5-7 miles a day, rain or shine. If it’s really bad weather, she'll use the treadmill, but unless there is a torrential downpour or severe weather alert, she will be outside walking. I admire that.
My wife also has a tendency to trick me into walking long distances when we travel. On one vacation, I thought we were off to do some normal site-seeing, but by the end of that day, we had walked 25 miles. My feet were killing me (my wife was completely fine). I asked her, “Why did you let me do this?” She said, “Well, you were having fun,” and I have to admit, she was right.
Did the pandemic change your physical activity habits at all?
One of the interesting aspects of COVID is that I became aware of how much time I was spending sitting at my desk. I’d never really focused on my daily activity level before.
Prior to COVID, when I worked in an office setting, there was activity built into my day, whether I realized it or not — walking and down the halls, going to different floors, walking outside for lunch.
But during the pandemic, there was no longer any activity in my workday! I would start the day from my home with Morning Joe, do two or three more MSNBC shows, and have meetings with clients or organizations — all while sitting at my desk! I was Zooming literally almost every hour.
When I realized how little activity I was getting, it became a conscious effort to get up from the desk, to not schedule a Zoom meeting for a two hour block, and sometimes, to actually get in my car and drive to the grocery store just to walk around!
Do you wear a fitness monitor to remind you to get up, move, or walk more?
I do have a Fitbit that reminds me, “Ok, Michael, time to do some steps,” or to let me know how many calories I've burned. Some days I’ll wonder why I’m wearing it, but it is a helpful reminder to take certain proactive steps in my health regimen, including getting up from my desk. And it applauds me when I do all of my steps, which is nice.
When you’re on the bike or Elliptical, are you watching MSNBC? Or maybe sports or Netflix?
I will more than likely be watching MSNBC or listening to music. I won’t watch a movie that requires concentration for an extended period of time.
When you travel, will you make time for exercise?
No!! No, no, no. When I’m traveling, I’m on vacation, so I am not stepping into any gym. I did it one time, and I just didn't see the purpose of it. So when my wife is walking five miles on the beach, I will be at the pool under the umbrella.
Is there something that motivates you to work out?
My main motivation is looking in the mirror and not liking what I see. I'll think, “Okay, you have to do something. You have to tone this up. You have to lose some weight.” I have these thoughts every year around this time -- I tell myself to get in shape for the summer so that I can look good. Well, that never happens!
But I am motivated by the physical aspect of health — trying to lose a bit of the winter fat around the belly, for example — and these kinds of medical motivators help.
If I tell myself, “Okay, you need to lose three pounds,” I will make a concerted effort to increase the number of steps that I’m taking, or go down to the basement and at least look at the Elliptical, if not actually get on it.
Is there a sport or fitness activity that you’d like to try?
Something I've been curious about is — and I think this is what it’s called — Pickleball? When I first heard the name, I thought, “I’ll like it because I like pickles.” I’ve since learned that it’s basically a glorified game of tennis and racquetball.
When I was younger, I really enjoyed playing racquetball, so I’m intrigued by Pickleball. It looks like a lot of fun — and it doesn't come off with the pretentiousness of tennis or the violence of racquetball.
I appreciated Michael Steele’s honesty — and humor — in discussing how he feels about exercising. I think many people will be able to relate. I also think he will probably end up walking another 25 miles on vacation at some point.😀
Thank you, @MichaelSteele
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