The Reach Out: Mike Jones

The USA Today NFL columnist says exercise is "a priority both for its physical and mental health benefits" so "early mornings, it is."

Mike Jones is an NFL columnist for USA TODAY and a “proud dad, youth sports coach, and an aspiring BBQ Pitmaster.”

Jones previously covered the Washington Football Team for The Washington Post, and the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times.

I reached out to Mike Jones to find out how he sticks with an exercise routine while juggling a demanding NFL travel schedule and four kids.

With all of the traveling that you do, how do you stay active?

Remaining active can be a challenge during the season because of travel demands, work and family schedules. But I’ve learned the hard way that I have to make it a priority both for its physical and mental health benefits. I’ve also learned that the best way to make that a priority is to build in early exercise time.

I start most days around 4:20 a.m. and am in the gym by 4:50. I’ll lift until about 5:45, leave the gym and go home and pick up my black Labrador Retriever, Pepper, and go to a nearby state forest to either run or walk one of the trails there. We started this during the pandemic when the gyms were closed, and I decided to bring her along to help get some of her energy out. I’ve enjoyed outdoor cardio much more than the treadmill or elliptical, and she of course loves it, so we’ve kept it up.

If I don’t go early, it’s pretty much a lock that I’ll get interrupted by work emails,  phone calls, or Twitter at some other point later in the morning, mid-day or afternoon. I’ve tried, but it’s annoying to have to stop and sit on a weight bench to reply to emails or answer phone calls. So, early mornings it is!

It sounds like you follow a specific routine.

I’m pretty religious with the early morning workouts. On some days when I have to get on a plane early in the morning and can’t make it to the gym, I try to make up for it with a walk or some type of physical activity later on in the day.

Have your workout habits changed since COVID began?

The outdoor cardio was the main change. I initially did that as my only form of exercise when the gyms closed. Then I bought a universal machine and resistance bands and set them up in my garage. They’re still there, and my kids and wife still use them, and I’ll use them on days where maybe I’m flying back from a road game and don’t make it to the gym. But now that the gyms are open again, I go there and just use the garage as backup.

Do you try to break up extended bouts of sitting while writing, traveling, and watching sports?

I do try, but sometimes I get so locked into writing that I look up and have lost track of time and it’s late afternoon and I realize I haven’t moved. Most days, I’ll play fetch with Pepper around lunchtime and then get back to work. When I’m traveling, I try to get a walk in, or do a resistance band workout in the hotel room.

Do you watch the news, or listen to podcasts or music, while you exercise?

There are TVs on at my gym, and normally NFL Network or ESPN is on. But I don’t really focus on that much. I normally have some good music on and get into a zone when I’m lifting. Then, on my walks with Pepper, I normally pick a podcast to listen to.

Is there someone or something that motivates you to keep active and fit?

My motivation is two-fold. I want to feel better mentally and physically. My fitness journey began probably 10 or 12 years ago. I was terribly overweight and would get winded carrying my son upstairs and I realized, “Man, I’ve got to do something.”

I weighed myself and learned I was 275 pounds. I was blown away. So, I joined the gym, changed my eating habits and lost 75 pounds. I felt so much better. But over the years, I would slack off in my dietary habits, especially when traveling a lot for work, and have seen my weight Yo-Yo. That’s not good for you either, so my motivation in the last two years has been to find a healthier balance eating-wise. That was my biggest problem. I’d work out regularly, but eat like crap. That’s so counterproductive.

I finally got to the point where I realized, it wasn’t worth it to slack off and repeatedly have to lock back in and lose a bunch of weight. So, I have figured out what I can and can’t eat for best results. I’ve lost a couple of friends to premature deaths, and I don’t want my kids to have to go through that experience. So, that’s really strong motivation now. I want to keep my heart strong.

I’ve shifted my focus from trying to lift like I’m getting ready for some power-lifting contest to now going with a more moderate approach of lighter weights, higher reps. I have incorporated a lot more resistance band exercises into my workout routines as well. This is better on my joints  as well. Between the adjustments in my diet and workout programs, I’ve seen better results and have found better consistency in maintaining a healthy weight.

Just as importantly is my mental health. My job can be stressful. Life as a whole can be stressful as well. I’ve learned that I do a much better job of handling anxiety when I get my daily block of time where I’m investing in myself.

Working out helps blow off stress. Unplugging from the world and enjoying time in nature during those walks helps my mental state as well. Going outside for a backyard game with the kids, and coaching sports provides another escape. I’m a much better dad, husband and sportswriter when I’m not overwhelmed with anxiety and when I’m in a good place mentally and physically.

Do you mainly listen to sports podcasts and read sports-related books?

I’m pretty diverse. I have a few sports podcasts that I’ll listen to, but because I’m so engrossed in sports for work, there are many days that I try to unplug from that and I’ll listen to non-sports related podcasts, or self-help or fatherhood related podcasts.

I also like listening to music-related podcasts where artists are talking about their creative processes. The same goes for books. I read sports books, but I also read mystery books, or biographies as well.

I read that you are a youth sports coach. With many kids not getting enough physical activity, how do you think we can encourage kids to be more active?

We started our kids out in youth sports at young ages, and that has helped encourage active lifestyles. When my kids were little, we got a big trampoline with an enclosed net in the backyard. (Now that they’re teenagers, The boys have moved an old basketball goal over there and have trampoline dunk contests)

Over the years, we’ve added items to help encourage physical activities, like the universal weight machine in the garage, and hitting tee and net, a pop-a-shot machine and ping-pong table in the garage as well, and a basketball hoop in the driveway.

My kids certainly love their video games, but we have time limits, and when those time limits are met, they normally go outside and find something to get into. Every now and then, they do still challenge me to a pickup game, although they hesitate to include me in basketball games, because two years ago, I ruptured a patella tendon while trying to guard one of my sons! I’m back and better than ever, but they still don’t believe me! And they still play sports, so each evening, there’s usually some practice or game going on.

So, my kids have no problem with remaining active. But I think the best thing is to give them options. And I try to encourage other kids to find ways to get outside. A day or two a week of practice or competition isn’t enough, so I tell them to try to get outside and work on their skills even on non-practice or non-game days. It’s just a healthier way to live.

Are there any activities that you enjoy for stress management?

Enjoying the outdoors, whether it’s hiking, fishing, biking, playing catch, or engaging in some competition with my kids all helps. I also enjoy drawing caricatures or some other kind of doodles to help unplug and relax.

Working out at 4 am every morning takes a certain level of commitment, but Mike Jones sticks to his routine because he recognizes the benefits — both physical and mental. Even when his travel schedule is crazy, exercise and fitness remain a priority. Very impressed!

Thank you @ByMikeJones

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