Gretchen Reynolds is the Phys Ed columnist for the Well blog and Science Times.
Herewith the scoop on her workout routine and thoughts on fitness.
What’s the best exercise there is?
My own nominee is probably the burpee, since it strengthens your arms, midsection and legs, and has such a fabulous name. (I wrote about this very topic for the Sunday magazine a few years ago.)
The dumbest exercise you’ve ever done?
A half-marathon race that I once ran without training much. The last three miles felt like 20.
Who is the coolest trainer you’ve run across?
I don’t interact much with trainers, since my column generally focuses on published science, but Mark Verstegen, who developed the new Advanced 7-Minute Workout, trains the German national soccer team and so got to celebrate winning the World Cup with them this summer, and that’s definitely cool.
What’s the exercise you most enjoy? Least enjoy? The most harmful to your health?
I’m an endurance gal. I’m not wild about calisthenics, like push-ups, but I do them, because I need some kind of weight training and I rarely go to a gym. No situps, though. They can ruin your back if you do them poorly, so I don’t do them at all.
Do you have a regular fitness routine?
I used to be a competitive athlete, but that was long ago. Now I run three or four miles at a very leisurely pace or ride bikes for an hour or so with my husband on most days of the week.
What do you think: Is exercise really bad for your teeth?
Not the way that I do it. The study about dental health and exercise looked at whether serious, intense endurance training might be bad for your teeth. But gentle jogging isn’t likely to hurt.
If you live in a small city apartment, what is the No. 1 most indispensable exercise equipment?
A couple of dumbbells. Buy a pair that seems a bit too heavy to start with. After you’ve been using them regularly, they’ll start to seem just right. At which point you should probably buy a pair that is just a little heavier.
Do you have favorite exercise gear — clothing, etc.?
I like lightweight running shoes. I don’t run barefoot and did not enjoy those toe shoes when I tried them. But lightweight, flexible running shoes feel wonderful, even if I am slow these days.
Is there any exercise fad you especially liked or miss?
There was a brief vogue a few years ago for backward running, and the science shows that running backward can be good for your form when you go forward. But I think the fad faded because of, well, tripping.
What recent exercise fad strikes you, in retrospect, as the biggest waste of time?
Did I mention my reaction to toe shoes for running?
Do you get lot of reader mail or comments? What kind?
I do get emails from readers, although it’s more common now for people to comment about columns online. My favorite recent Comment thread concerned my use of the word “slothful” to refer to people who are inactive. Readers felt that I was insulting sloths.
Who is the meanest fitness teacher you ever met or, if you don’t want to name names, what did they do?
In my experience, the worst coaching relationships can be between spouses. When my husband has patiently tried to improve my mountain biking technique, I’ve thrown things at him.
In terms of your own life, what is the point of exercise?
I like it. I need it. It calms me. I also am very aware of the science about how exercise improves brain health. I’m at an age when I can’t immediately remember where I put the car keys. I’m hoping to keep my mind and memory as sharp as possible for as long as possible, and if exercise helps me to do that, I will gladly exercise.
Have you observed a correlation, in your own life, between happy people and people who exercise?
Absolutely. Most of the people I know are physically active and when they’re not able to exercise, they seem unhappy.
What are the three things you suggest every reader do to feel better, think faster and live longer?
Move, move, move. It doesn’t seem to matter how you move. Go to the gym. Stroll around your office. Run. Walk. Take a circuit-fitness class. Getting your body into motion in some way — any way — is proven to enhance moods, sharpen minds and prolong life spans. And it is incredibly easy. Just stand up right now, walk in place, and you’re on the right path to fitness.