The Reach Out: Nicole Hemmer
The political historian is a fan of OrangeTheory and Rumble workouts, and says, "when I travel, I love to hike and kayak."
Nicole Hemmer is a political historian who focuses on media, conservatism, and the far-right. She is an associate research scholar with the Obama Presidency Oral History project at Columbia University, and the author of Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics.
Her next book, Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s, will be released in August.
Hemmer co-hosts Past Present, a weekly podcast where three historians discuss the latest news in American politics and culture, and This Day In Esoteric Political History, a three-times-a-week history podcast from Radiotopia.
Hemmer is a columnist for CNN Opinion, and co-founder of Made by History, the historical analysis section of the Washington Post.
Hemmer’s analysis has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Politico, The New Republic, and on PBS NewsHour, CNN, NPR, and NBC News.
I reached out to Nicole Hemmer to find out how she keeps active.
How do you make being active a part of your life?
Having a puppy helps — she makes sure we get plenty of walking in throughout the day. And when I travel, I love to hike and kayak. But I’ve found that I need intentional exercise as well, whether that’s lap-swimming, a Peloton ride, or time at the gym.
Do you have a specific routine, or do you fit exercise in whenever you can find time?
I work from home and have a pretty fluid schedule, so the time I work out changes a lot. The only scheduled exercise I do is a weekly Peloton ride with a friend on the weekends.
Is there something that motivates you to keep active and exercise regularly?
I find exercise clears my mind, keeps anxiety at bay, and gets my energy levels back up, especially after a draining day. That combo of mental and physical benefits is pretty motivating!
Have your exercise habits changed since COVID began?
Absolutely. I’m a big class person: before moving to NYC, I was a regular at Orangetheory. I moved about six months before the pandemic, and had just gotten into a routine of lifting and doing a bit of cardio at the university gym, plus some Rumble boxing and random classes when I could fit them in.
When the pandemic hit, I did yoga and long walks to ease the anxiety, but found myself craving more intense workouts. I finally decided that there was room in my little apartment for a Peloton, and have been a devoted rider ever since. As the pandemic ebbs, though, I’m eager to get back to some in-person boxing classes and a real weight room.
Do you wear an Apple watch or FitBit to track your steps or remind you to "move?"
I do! I have an Apple watch that yells at me if I haven’t moved for an hour, which as a writer happens more than I care to admit. I enjoyed step-tracking a lot more pre-pandemic (living in NYC it was pretty easy to hit high step counts), though the pup has helped make my daily step counts a little less embarrassing.
Do you watch the news, or listen to podcasts or music, while you exercise? Or do you prefer to tune out completely?
I need something to pull me out of my head when I’m working out, which is one reason I like classes: a coach telling you what to do, some good music to help you turn off your brain. When I’m walking (or back in my pre-injury days when I ran), I rely on music or podcasts to keep me going.
Is there a sport or fitness trend that you think you might like to try?
I love trying new workouts, though right now I’m eager to get back to those outside-of-the-house workouts I once did regularly: lifting at the gym, Rumble, swimming. But I suspect when the next big thing comes around, I’ll happily hop on the bandwagon.
Nicole Hemmer has already embraced the concept of “mixing it up” — kayaking, hiking, yoga, Peloton, running, boxing, swimming, weights — but she’s still eager to try something new!
Thank you, @pastpunditry
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