The Reach Out: Mike Reiss
When he isn't covering the New England Patriots for ESPN's NFL Nation, how does the reporter and author keep active?
Mike Reiss is one of the leading reporters covering New England Patriots football. Reiss reports on the Patriots for all ESPN platforms, including SportsCenter, NFL Live, and ESPN’s NFL Nation Patriots blog.
Reiss helped to launch ESPNBoston.com and previously covered the Patriots for the MetroWest Daily News and Boston Globe. He was one of the first reporters to embrace an interactive approach to reporting on a sports team, including through weekly mailbags and chats.
Reiss is the author of Patriot Pride: My Life in the New England Dynasty, which he co-wrote with Patriots Hall of Famer Troy Brown. Reiss is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America.
I spoke with Mike Reiss about why regular exercise is a priority for him.
How do you make being active part of your life?
It's very important to both myself and my wife. We belong to a gym called Lifetime Athletic, which opened in Massachusetts in 2015. I like to work out there in the morning -- one, because news is less likely to break early in the morning, and two, because I've always been a morning person. I like to get up and get the workout in. I feel like it sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Do you have a specific exercise routine?
Cardio is really important to me. My family has a history of high cholesterol, so getting my heart rate up is one of my workout goals. Prior to COVID, I’d been doing Spin classes regularly at the gym. The morning class started at 5:30AM and lasted 45 to 60 minutes. I paired that with yoga — the heated flow class — which I really enjoy. I will occasionally use the Elliptical or the rower, but I tend to get bored pretty quickly on those machines.
During the pandemic, did your workout routine change?
Lifetime Athletic did shut down for a period of time. When they reopened, they moved the Spin bikes into the gymnasium, and spread them out quite a bit. It wasn't the same Spinning experience I was used to, but it was better than nothing.
I tried virtual yoga, but found it incredibly challenging. It came nowhere close to the in-person class experience, so I was really happy when they opened things up again.
Outside of the gym, I’ve always tried to do a lot of walking. We live within walking distance of our son's elementary school, so we'll walk to school in the morning, and then when I'm walking home, I’ll try to take the long route.
Did you find that you spent even more time outside during the pandemic?
One of the silver linings of the pandemic was that we discovered hiking. Our 10 year old son loves nature, so I started looking in our local online paper for things to do outdoors. We found a local hiking group that meets every Saturday at 8:30AM, rain or shine. Our town has a lot of conservation areas, so there are always new places to hike. My son got so into it that we bought him hiking boots. We still go out every weekend.
Did you skip any workouts in the intense period leading up to the NFL draft?
For me, I would say that working out became even more important. I knew that the draft was at 8PM on Thursday, and that one of my favorite classes was Thursday at 5:30AM. I remember thinking, “Okay, if I do that class, it will set a great tone for the day and carry me through — but I might also be really hurting on the other side.” So I ended up working out a few of the draft days, but not all of them. The draft just completely takes over.
Do you listen to (or watch) sports while you work out?
I usually tune out completely from sports because I just need to get away from it — unless it's a playoff game or a sporting event that I'm really interested in. But music is a passion of mine, so I always prefer to work out just listening to music that I love.
What is your motivation for exercising regularly?
For me, it's about feeling light on my feet and feeling good. I want to eat well, sleep well, and exercise because all of it gives me more energy. When I do a yoga class, or have a good workout, I feel like it helps me to be at my best in all areas -- at work, at home, as a husband, and as a dad. I believe in taking care of yourself so that you can take care of everything else in your life.
Do you wear a fitness monitor because you care to be tracking yourself?
I don't wear one, but it's not because I don't believe it’s beneficial. I think I’m just a bit intimidated by the technology. Here we are in the year 2022, and I'm probably content to listen to some great 80’s music, and remember a time when these trackers didn't even exist.
How do you think we can get kids and teens to be more active?
I think trying different sports and activities is important. I grew up playing very traditional sports like basketball and baseball, but my kids don’t really like these sports, so we’ve tried to think outside the box. Our 13 year-old daughter has fallen in love with indoor rock climbing. She does bouldering — hopping up on the wall and climbing — and more challenging climbs where she straps on the harness. My kids also really enjoy the Ninja Warrior gym. We try to expose our kids to as many different activities as possible.
We also put our kids on our membership at Lifetime Athletic so that they can come with us if they want to. We try to be good role models — when they see us going to the gym regularly, they learn that being active is an important part of their parents’ lives.
Is there a sport or fitness activity that you might want to try?
If I could ever run the Boston Marathon, I would love to do that. I used to cover the race when I was a young reporter at a local newspaper, and in my opinion, our marathon is the best in the world. I just don't know that I'm built to do it.
Sometimes I think I might want to try rock climbing because my kids love it, but then I remember how high up they go, and I can't say I’m quite as fired up about it.
Thank you, @MikeReiss
More than a few people have mentioned wanting to run The Boston Marathon. I wouldn’t be surprised if they all crossed that goal off their ‘to do’ lists very soon.😀
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