Regardless of party affiliation, it is important that our elected officials demonstrate a healthy lifestyle and physical fitness. Healthy Body, Healthy Mind!
When those in positions of influence promote and encourage healthy lifestyles, it inspires their constituents to follow suit and incorporate some of those healthy aspects into their own lives. Politicians can promote healthy living in a variety of ways; from posting a simple picture on their social media of them participating in their favorite workout to advertising activities that involve bringing the community together while simultaneously exercising.
100 men and women serve to represent their state in the U.S. Senate. In our 5th annual list of fittest senators, we give recognition to the lawmakers who maintain a high level of fitness in their personal lives, and serve as a positive role model for their constituents- through their promotion of healthy living and their support of legislation that encourages it.
We first researched all the available data on the 100 current senators. Then, we did more extensive research to narrow it down to 50, and then finally 20. We used a combination of interviews, internet, library, industry literature, and H.F.R. founder Samir Becic’s knowledge of over 20 years as one of the leading fitness experts in the world.
“Senators, please take action in terms of not only being physically fit but also in promoting a healthy lifestyle to your constituents. I know that many Senators already promote a healthy lifestyle, but considering the obesity rate in our country, we need to step up and do whatever it takes to make Americans healthier and fitter- especially our children. With COVID-19, fitness and a healthy lifestyle should be emphasized more than ever- a healthy body has a robust immune system. While the immune system may not protect you from contracting the virus, it will definitely help with the recovery. These 20 senators deserve recognition because they are great ambassadors for a healthy lifestyle and they lead by example” says HFR founder Samir Becic.
We are at the forefront of fitness in politics, and our previous lists of the fittest politicians have generated buzz in some of the nation’s leading media outlets. From the New York Times, to the LA Times, to the Houston Chronicle, Refinery29, Washington Post, and so on… Politico dubbed our list of the Top 10 Fittest Senators 2016 their “List du Jour”, they recently also mentioned our Top 20 Fittest Mayors in America 2020 list. We have also conducted exclusive interviews with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.
In no particular order, here are the Top 20 Fittest Senators 2020:
Kamala Harris, 56 – California
- Harris served as the district attorney of San Francisco before being named the state’s attorney general in 2011.
- Despite being so busy in her career, she still finds time to take care of herself
- She was the first woman, first African-American and the first Asian-American to hold the job.
- Said in a newsletter that she stays balanced by working out and eating healthy.
- “In order to find balance, I feel very strongly about two things in particular in terms of routine. Work out, and eat well. I can’t say how many women I’ve mentored in college. I say, “Are you working out every morning?” No. Then I say, “You’ve got to work out.” It has nothing to do with your weight. It’s about your mind. I work out every morning. Only half an hour. I get on the treadmill. That’s it. Every morning, I don’t care what time. It gets your blood flowing. It gets your adrenaline flowing. I believe in eating well. It’s not fanatical. Eat good food. Make sure you’ve got good vegetables.”
- “I work out every morning, regardless of how much sleep I’ve had,”
- “I had liter water bottles that I filled, of course, with water to use them as hand weights,”
- 30 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill, or swimming
- If she has time on the weekends, she will take an hour-long Soul Survivor class at SoulCycle.
- Made our list of 2017 Top Fittest Senators list.
Chuck Grassley, 87 – Iowa
- President pro tempore of the United States Senate
- Senator Grassley commits himself to running 12 miles every week, waking up at 4 AM to ensure his exercise doesn’t interfere with his busy work schedule.
- Understanding how important nutrition is in fighting obesity and disease, Senator Grassley is a major advocate for better nutrition across the US.
- He’s focused on better, high-quality nutrition for kids as well as the general population.
- An avid farmer
- Has a #cornwatch on his Instagram to keep people updated on when the corn in his farm is ready for harvesting.
Lisa Murkowski, 63 – Alaska
- Authored an article for Women’s Health concerning the GMO stigma surrounding salmon
- Makes an effort to consume lean, muscle maintaining protein.
- She routinely shares her chef skills and home grown produce on Facebook.
- She takes pride is staying active with her family, and regularly enjoys skiing and hiking.
- Has been hiking a lot during the pandemic
- In an interview with Health Fitness Revolution, she informed us that she takes advantage of walking to work and taking the stairs (all the way up to the 7th floor).
- Enjoys fishing with her family.
- Also enjoys duck hunting with her family.
- This senator made our 2016 Top 10 Fittest Senators as well as the 2017 Top 10 Fittest Senators list as well as our Top 100 Fittest Politicians list.
Todd Young, 48 – Indiana
- Former marine
- Stated that his military experience made him a better leader.
- Attended the U.S. Naval Academy.
- The expertise he gained in the Marine Corps distinguishes him as leader who will fight to equip our military with the tools they need to protect our nation.
- Todd voted for the Veterans Access to Care Act to secure quality health care that was promised to our veterans.
- Following 10 years of service and an honorable discharge as a captain – and then a short stint in Washington where he worked at the Heritage Foundation – Young came back home to Indiana.
- Made our list of 2017 Top 10 Fittest Senators.
Kyrsten Sinema, 44 – Arizona
- Senator Sinema heavily emphasizes fitness, being the first sitting member of congress to complete an Ironman.
- She uses half marathons to train for Ironmans.
- She currently holds the ACLI Course Record for women, and recently qualified for the Boston Marathon.
- Senator Sineman has also made food security in the US a priority, especially during the covid pandemic. She’s worked to provide additional funding to food banks, helping ensure proper nutrition for children and seniors.
- Made our list of Top 10% Fittest Congress Members.
Rand Paul, 54 – Kentucky
- During his high school years, Paul swam and played football.
- Still plays baseball in the annual Congressional Baseball game.
- Currently volunteers in little league baseball, soccer, and basketball for each of his three sons.
- Founded the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic to provide free eye exams and surgeries to families in need and keep their eyes healthy.
- Paul is also on our Fitness Report Card for 2016 Presidential Hopefuls and got an A-.
- Made our list of Top 10 Fittest Senators 2016.
Cory Booker, 51 – New Jersey
- Eats a vegan diet.
- Works out consistently.
- An active voice for weight loss.
- Was an honorary vice chairman of Michelle Obama’s Partnership for a Healthier America.
- The initiative in his city focuses on better food options and more-active lifestyles.
- Played football at Stanford University.
- During his first year in the as the Senator of New Jersey, Booker gain almost over 60 lbs.
- Booker has slimmed down and stayed fit through running, cycling and a vegan diet.
- In past campaigns, “Run With Cory” jogging events have dotted his schedule.
- This senator made our Fittest American Politicians 2017 list.
Kirsten Gillibrand, 53 – New York
- She is an advocate of the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, and promotes the development of in-reach grocery stores and farmers markets.
- She plans to introduce freshly grown produce to newer grocery stores.
- She’s a believer of the welfare system, and aims to increase food stamp (SNAP) aid.
- Childhood obesity is one of her biggest motivators.
- She intends to eliminate all trans fats in school lunches and replace them with healthier meal options.
- She is also a firm believer in the preventative approach in addressing childhood obesity, and intends to increase exercise opportunities in schools.
- She herself lost 10lbs in 2010 by cleaning up her diet and consuming mostly grilled chicken, veggies, and water.
- After a productive work week, she enjoys running and playing squash.
- She plays softball regularly with her colleagues.
- This senator made our 2016 Top 10 Fittest Senators list as well as our 2017 Top 10 Fittest Senators list.
Jeff Merkley, 63 – Oregon
- Has said that his workouts have been “very helpful in managing the stress of the job.”
- “When things go awry and you’re trying to make a project happen… I say to myself, ‘you know, I’m going to hold off on worrying about that until I’ve worked out tomorrow.’”
- In 2012, Senator Merkley completed an iron distance triathlon- which consists of 140 cumulative miles of swimming, biking and running.
- Lost a whopping 30lbs between 2010-2012.
- His very own daughter is an avid runner who maintains an active lifestyle- which in turn positively influences senator Merkley to stay fit.
- This senator made our 2016 list of the Top 10 Fittest Senators.
Rob Portman, 64 – Ohio
- Likes to take hikes with his wife on the weekends.
- Take dog on long walks.
- Bikes to raise awareness for cancer.
- Biked 26 miles to raise money for cancer research.
- Does triathlons with daughter.
- Helps build homes for Habitat for Humanity.
- Plays softball with his colleagues.
John Thune, 59 – South Dakota
- His passion for basketball almost led his high school team to the state championship.
- He received a full ride to Biola University- California to play basketball.
- Basketball isn’t his only talent; he was also a skilled track runner in high school.
- He still takes part in races . He was recognized in “Runner’s World Magazine” as the fastest man in Congress since 2009.
- His 2011 PR for the annual senator run was set at 18:54.
- Enjoys pheasant hunting.
- This senator made our 2016 list of the Top 10 Fittest Senators.
Tammy Duckworth, 52 – Illinois
- Iraq war veteran
- Duckworth lost both her legs and injured her right arm serving our nation during combat.
- She has accomplished many firsts:
- Born in Thailand, Duckworth is the first Asian-American female in Congress from Illinois.
- Also, she is the first disabled woman elected into the House of Representatives.
- She defies her disability by overcoming physical barriers and demonstrating her positive character.
- Duckworth served as Illinois Lieutenant Colonel for their National Guard before retiring in 2014.
- She was previously a helicopter pilot for the US Army, which requires concentration and skills.
- She recreationally flies as a civilian pilot.
- Duckworth has finished multiple marathons.
- She likes the thrill of unconventional activities like skydiving, surfing, and scuba diving.
- Likes to update her social media pages about the hiccups that end up occurring during her daily workouts
- Made our list of 2017 Top Fittest Senators list, Top 10% Fittest American Congress Members list, as well as our Top 100 Fittest Politicians list.
Martin Heinrich, 49 – New Mexico
- He takes advantage of taking the stairs- even walking up 5 flights of stairs to get to work.
- Senator Heinrich puts the beautiful New Mexico landscape to good use by regularly hiking and biking.
- He keeps his body in top notch shape with biometric P90x workouts.
- Enjoys elk hunting, especially in the Jemez Mountains.
- He lost almost 20 lbs since joining office by keeping up with his exercise routine.
- Participates in running marathons.
- He pushed himself in a 7-day survivalist mission in the middle of a deserted island.
- His challenge was documented by the Discovery Channel.
- This senator made our 2016 list of the Top 10 Fittest Senators.
Marco Rubio, 49 – Florida
- The Junior Senator and presidential candidate received a B on our fitness report card.
- He played football in high school and received a scholarship to play at the university level.
- Rubio said he tries to get to the hotel gym every morning on the campaign trail.
- One hour workout of resistance and cardio training.
- Made our list of Top 10 Fittest Senators 2016 list.
Tim Kaine, 62 – Virginia
- He stated that he’s gone through a few stages of exercise crazes
- Senator Kaine annually participates in 5k, 8k, and 10k races.
- Enjoys running with his family.
- The elliptical machine is his warm-up of choice.
- Can run up to 6 miles at a time.
- He trains for 45-60 minutes, 5 days a week with Marco Rubio.
- 30 minutes of elliptical intervals.
- The remaining time is dedicated to strength training.
- Partakes in at least one lengthy bike ride per year.
- Lover of outdoorsy activities, such as canoeing, hiking and camping.
- This senator made our 2016 list of the Top 10 Fittest Senators.
Maggie Hassan, 62 – New Hampshire
- Was governor of New Hampshire until 2017.
- Has a son with disabilities.
- An advocate for disabled rights
- Has been working out for 18 years.
- Grew up in an active family, walking, running, swimming.
- Begins her day at the gym, and exercises pretty much everyday.
- Keeps her balanced and her head clear.
- Does strength and resistance training twice a week.
- Has a trainer and works out with fellow state senator Donna Sousy.
- Kayaked with veterans to promote recreational therapy program.
- Made our 2017 Top Fittest Senators list.
Michael Bennet – 55, Colorado
- Loves to go hiking around Colorado.
- Goes skiing.
- Senator Bennet has worked to support anti-hunger and public health organizations and continues to advocate for better nutritional quality and program efficiency.
Robert “Bob” Casey Jr., 60 – Pennsylvania
- He’s an active member of the Senate Committee for Health.
- Created the Healthy Hungry Act.
- To end childhood hunger and obesity and improve the health of the next generation of Americans
- He participates regularly in the yearly softball game.
- As far as exercise goes, he takes pleasure in a good jog.
- Regularly coaches and plays basketball.
- This senator made our 2016 list of the Top 10 Fittest Senators.
Chuck Schumer, 69 – New York
- Each morning, at 7 a.m., in the Senate gym, Chuck Schumer takes his seat on the stationary bike. He uses the gym for both fitness and to discuss bi-partisan politics
- Kicked around immigration reform ideas with Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida during morning workout routines.
- When the government shut down, he and Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee used the gym as a negotiating room to help end the standoff.
- Schumer is known as an expert schmoozer at the gym and elsewhere.
- A couple of years before becoming senator in 1999, however, he was sidelined by persistent knee pain
- His routine now is a mix of weights and a stationary bike.
- Schumer is said to have lost about 30 pounds the past several years, thanks in part to his Senate workouts and regular bike rides in Brooklyn.
Tom Cotton, 43 – Arkansas
- Runs for cancer.
- Race for the Cure.
- Frequently runs 5k:
- Hope Watermelon Festival
- Oil Town 5k
- Runs for his community.
Originally published on samirbecic.com
