WASHINGTON -
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a woman who meets with princes and prime
ministers but never misses a date with her personal trainer.
She's learned that it takes work to stay in shape -- both
mentally and physically.
This past weekend, Rice invited News4's Barbara Harrison for
a workout at the State Department gym and showed how she manages to fit fitness
into her busy schedule.
Her trainer, Tommy Tomlo, is a
former Marine. Rice said he is a tough coach but starts her workouts easy.
"We've got two minutes of easy spinning," he said
during the start of Rice's workout with Harrison.
"You don't have to break any speed records here."
Rice said her cardiovascular workouts are what she shoots
for daily, no matter where she is.
"I'll work out with an elliptical and treadmill -- I
have both at my home. I put in a little gym at my apartment," she said.
"I'll go every morning for 40 to 45 minutes on that."
Rice prefers low-impact exercises.
"I'm ... a little bit over 50," Rice said with a
smile. "I spent a lot of years as a figure skater, banging my legs and
knees against the ice, and so I've decided that I'm going to speedwalk and walk hills instead of running."
Her trainer also favors walking over running.
"I believe that walking is a very important tool that
is underutilized for people," Tomlo said.
"I'm a big believer in walking -- for the heart and the way it shapes the
body and the lack of impact."
Rice gets up at 4:30 a.m.
every day, and no matter where she is in the world, she gets in a workout.
On this day, she just got home from a 15-hour flight from
the Middle East the night before.
"When I'm on the road, I absolutely schedule time to
get in my exercise first," she said.
"I was very fortunate to have a father who was a really
great athlete who introduced me to sports," Rice said. "He stopped
exercising and had all sorts of health problems. It was a real lesson to me and
showed me that you really have to keep exercising your entire life."
Posted: 3/1/06
Source: NBC4.com
Return to: Condoleezza Rice
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