The Reach Out: Todd Levin
The CONAN writer, author, and comedian says he's "undisciplined" about exercise, but does see the benefits of kettlebell workouts, online HIIT, and, maybe, boxing?
Todd Levin is a member of the talented CONAN writing team that just won the 2022 Writers Guild Award for Comedy/Variety Talk Series, and contributed to the upcoming season of The Eric Andre Show. He has also written for people like Sacha Baron Cohen and Robert Smigel.
Before writing for television, Levin began his career as a stand-up comic and has performed on Comedy Central's Premium Blend, as well as comedy shows and festivals around the country.
He co-authored the humor book, SEX: Our Bodies, Our Junk, and has written for McSweeney’s, New Yorker, New York Times, and GQ.
Levin is currently developing several writing projects, including a very intriguing children’s book (more on this later!!).
I spoke with Todd Levin about easy-to-hide exercise equipment, unwanted FitBit alerts, and his two motivations for keeping fit.
Is finding time for regular exercise a priority for you?
Yes, but I’m very undisciplined. I work from home, writing at a desk, so often the way I make myself exercise is by putting workout clothes on and hoping by dressing for the part I’ll feel inspired.
I'm not remotely an athletic person, but I will occasionally drop and do push-ups at my desk like a prisoner in his cell, or go for long walks, just to break up the monotony of writing.
The only pieces of exercise equipment that I own are a yoga mat and a kettlebell. So I’ll do a 20 minute kettlebell YouTube workout. I appreciate that a kettlebell doesn't take up much space. The idea of having a house full of equipment does not appeal to me. I like things that can be stuffed into the closet or shoved under the bed. Whatever is easiest to hide.
My wife and I also exercise together — it’s our way of motivating each other. We’ll do an online HIIT (high intensity interval training) class with this particular instructor she finds particularly charming. I am such a particular person, and so naturally averse to exercise that it’s easy for me to feel put off by a fitness instructor — whether it’s too much vocal fry or just their repeated use of the phrase “pelvic bowl” — but my wife has found this teacher who is silly, inspiring, forgiving, and unafraid to constantly draw attention to how much sweat his body produces.
What is your motivation for exercising regularly?
I would say there are twin motivations. The first is just a general self-loathing. Sometimes I’ll catch my profile in the mirror as I pass it, and just gasp.
The other is just wanting to have energy for my kids. I already have a fear of being the ‘old dad.’ I have a six year-old and a nine year-old who still want me to pick them up and play with them. I hear people talk about how hard it is to get up off the floor, or how they can't play on the floor because it hurts to stand up. I just can't have that. I don't want to say to my kids, “I'll catch up with you guys when you're 15 and you don’t need a playmate; you just want to borrow the car.” So yes, a really big motivation for not completely letting myself go is that I want to have energy for my kids.
Did COVID change your exercise routine at all?
Prior to the pandemic, my wife and I would semi-regularly go to a yoga studio in our LA neighborhood. It was a bit of an effort to get me there, but by the time the class was over I was always happy I went. Because of all the stretching in yoga, you typically come out of the class feeling more energized than exhausted.
In the beginning of lockdown, when all the playgrounds were closed, we pivoted to other outdoor activities more because they were our only options. We found uncrowded hiking trails, and taught both of our kids to ride bikes, which was nice because it meant we could just go out riding together — no more fussing over bike seats.
We also took our kids to play tennis at the local courts. The cool thing about tennis during early COVID — when we didn’t know how socially distant we needed to be — was that tennis sort of forces you to be a pretty safe distance from the next court. I’d like to officially endorse tennis as an excellent sport to play during an infectious disease outbreak.
Does exercising help with your writing and creativity?
Exercise actually helps with my depression, and for me, depression is the biggest obstacle to productivity. I can still be creative when anxious, but being depressed makes it really hard to self-motivate. Whatever chemical change happens in the brain while I exercise — like a little shot of an antidepressant — really helps to reset my mindset.
One reason why I enjoy walking is it's a time when I don't have to talk to anybody, and I feel like my mind is more open to generating new ideas and solving problems.
I was recently feeling very stuck on something I was writing—just staring at my screen, making zero progress. So I took a break, and went for a walk. As I wandered, so did my mind, and I began to think about the material differently. By the time I got back to my desk, I had figured it out. This happens quite a bit when I'm out walking.
On the other hand, I'm not thinking creatively when I’m doing a HIIT class because I'm only focused on the instructor.
Do you wear a fitness monitor to remind you to get up and move?
I feel like I already have too many notifications in my life. I'm also not obsessive about exercise the way some people are — it’s not at all a joy for me — and it still takes a bit of work for me to work out. So I don’t need Fitbit telling me, “Hey, you haven’t moved around for an hour. Everything OK, man?”
Do you listen to podcasts or anything serious while walking?
I definitely do not listen to podcasts, because it’s not a great time to invite a lot of chatter. I might listen to music but, especially when I’m writing, I don't like to be distracted by lyrics. (Cliff Martinez has been consistently my favorite writing music.)
Is there an exercise class or sport that you might like to try?
I've actually been talking to my wife about taking a boxing class, which is unusual for me. I'm not an aggressive person, and I don't generally like conflict, but I feel like a boxing class would be good for stamina and balance. I think it’s just a matter of feeling comfortable enough to attend an in-person class and not worry that I’ll be inhaling other people’s fomites.
Would you consider virtual (at-home) boxing classes?
All I can imagine is investing in all that boxing gear — the heavy bag, the gloves, etc. — then inevitably giving up boxing at some point, and having all of that equipment just become a monument to my failure. It’s like that old joke about using your exercise bike as a clothes line. I don't want to one day walk past my heavy bag, now draped in cobwebs, and imagine it’s just frowning at me in disappointment.
So when you’re not doing HIIT, walking, or bike riding with your kids, you are working on several writing projects and a children’s book?
Yes, I am writing a children’s book based on the movie ‘Seven.’ Yes, that Seven. And I know how it sounds, but the book’s content is intentionally sweet and completely innocuous. I imagine it being subversive in that parents will recognize the source material, but the story would be told in a way that would be drained of anything that might terrify children. I picture people without children buying it for friends with children.
I appreciated Todd Levin’s honest and self-deprecating views about exercising. He doesn’t love working out, but he acknowledges the benefits. Combine a kettlebell, walking, and HIIT? You may just write a creative children’s book.😀
Thank you, @toddlevin
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