How 10 U.S. presidents kept themselves fit

Being president is hardly a relaxing desk job. And to deal with that stress, many former presidents had some special routines that kept themselves fit & were a regular part of their days. Here’s how ten American presidents kept themselves fit. Which of these routines would fit into your life?

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George Washington’s foxhunting miles on horseback

Before most people were even awake, George Washington was on horseback chasing foxes across uneven Virginia fields. He’d go on long rides with hounds over mud & hills. In his journals, Washington described these hunts happening constantly, sometimes for hours, and it wasn’t casual, either. Riding like that took a lot of core & leg strength.

Thomas Jefferson’s daily exercise rule

Thomas Jefferson treated movement as something he couldn’t skip. He pushed his family to block time out every single day, usually for long walks or horseback rides, and he also suggested target practice as a good way to stay active. For him, exercise was a part of the schedule.

John Quincy Adams’s Potomac swims at daybreak

John Quincy Adams had a rather specific routine that involved walking a couple of miles from his place and swimming across the Potomac River. He’d then walk back home like it was nothing. And it didn’t even matter how the weather was because he always did it before breakfast, rain or shine.

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s therapeutic swimming at Warm Springs

But Adams wasn’t the only one who liked to swim. Franklin D. Roosevelt liked going to the warm pools in Warm Springs, Georgia, to exercise after polio, and he’d spend hours in the water doing therapy sessions. He also swam laps. In fact, Roosevelt made the trip rather often and made it a regular part of his physical routine.

Theodore Roosevelt’s jiu-jitsu lessons in the White House

For Theodore Roosevelt, jogging around or doing light stretches wasn’t enough. No, he invited a Japanese judo master, Yoshiaki Yamashita, to teach him jiu-jitsu right inside the White House, and he also paid for lessons for a few friends. Roosevelt learned throws & holds in the East Room.

Herbert Hoover’s morning “Hooverball”

Hooverball was a game that, unsurprisingly, Herbert Hoover played. It worked like volleyball, except the ball was a heavy medicine ball that he & his friends would throw on the South Lawn. They’d toss it back & forth over a net, and keep score like any pickup game. Sure, it sounds odd, but it was intense cardio that kept him in shape.

Harry S. Truman’s fast morning walks

Of course, not every president relied on doing strange fitness routines. Harry S. Truman went for a fast morning walk that often had his bodyguards trailing behind, trying not to lose pace. He clocked about 120 steps per minute according to the reporters who timed him. Truman kept these walks up daily, often for a few miles around D.C.

Dwight D. Eisenhower’s golf habit

Dwight D. Eisenhower loved golf long before he putted on the White House lawn, but it became part of his recovery after he had a heart attack in 1955. Doctors encouraged him to do steady, moderate movement. Golf fit the bill. Eisenhower also had the South Lawn fitted with a putting green so he didn’t have to leave to play.

Barack Obama’s pickup hoops and a full-court upgrade

Basketball was Obama’s favorite sport. Rather than squeezing in gym time, he’d just call up staff or friends & run pickup games on the White House grounds, later converting the old tennis court into a full basketball court. He took the game rather seriously & it apparently was one of his favorite ways to keep fit.

Richard Nixon’s late-night bowling sessions

Richard Nixon didn’t stick to daytime exercise, as he bowled at night, usually downstairs in the single-lane alley beneath the North Portico. Sometimes he’d bring a few people along, other times, he played alone. It actually became a regular thing for him. And it was especially important during long stretches at the White House since it gave him a break.

The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article: