The Fittest Presidents

HAPPY PRESIDENT’S DAY! THINK YOU ARE CRUNCHED FOR TIME? TRY RUNNING A COUNTRY. THIS YEAR, WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT

SOME OF THE FITTEST HEADS-OF-STATES, TO SHOW THAT NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE THERE IS ALWAYS TIME FOR FITNESS.

George WashingtonFrom chopping down cherry trees to founding a nation, GW did it all. Known for his physical prowess, the muscles of our first present were said to intimidate others on the battle field. Washington's strong frame came from rowing down the Shenandoah River, but later in life he enjoyed dancing and horseback riding.

John Quincy Adams While not much about JQA might jump out, his fitness routine might. Adams was noted for taking three to four mile walks every day. But even more notable were his daily swims in the Potomac River, that he (allegedly) took nude.

Abraham LincolnRaised on a steady diet of hard physical labor, honesty wasn’t the only thing Abe was full of. Little known fact: Lincoln was known for his wrestling abilities, winning over 300 matches with only one recorded loss (allegedly). Unfortunately, that one loss prevented him from becoming the Regimental champion of the Illinois Volunteers. His skills did earn him an “Outstanding American” award, and helped his be inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Herbert Hoover Sometimes it takes getting called out to pick up your fitness, and that is exactly what happened to Herbert Hoover. After being called “notoriously lackadaisical” by the New York Times, Hoover began to play a combination of tennis and volleyball. Played nearly every morning at 7am, the sport became known as Hoover Ball. (It never really caught on…).

Theodore Roosevelt Struck with a series of childhood ailments, Teddy Roosevelt made the most out of his adult years, becoming incredibly involved with physical activities. Some of his favorites included boxing, horseback riding, and hunting. TDR even went further and combined all three of those by becoming a cowboy.

John F. Kennedy Back in the day, many people were very hush-hush about America’s weight issues. But not John F. Kennedy. JFK created the White House Committee on Health and Fitness, and frequently spoke of the importance of physical fitness, including laying out his national fitness platform in Sports Illustrated magazine.

George W. Bush While in office, GW ran an average of three miles, four days a week, while also cross training with swimming, free weights, and elliptical training. He would rep out miles in under 8 minutes, and was in the top 2% of men his age for cardiovascular fitness. GW is also noted as an avid cyclist.

Barrack Obama President Obama plays basketball several multiple times per week, as well as weight trains. He also quit smoking in the name of fitness. First Lady Michelle Obama has worked on developing the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign, dedicated to helping eliminate childhood obesity, and the duo has become the voice of physical activity.

If presidents can find time for fitness, so can you.To find your fitness of choice, visit www.bodycraft.com to get started. No matter what you goals are, or what your price range is, BodyCraft has you covered. Happy President’s Day!