For Dr. Anthony Fauci, “exercise [is] a significant part of my regimen,” he recently told InStyle.
The 79-year-old White House advisor has been putting in jam-packed, 20-hour days fighting Covid-19, so he makes time to power walk to relieve stress, Fauci told InStyle.
Fauci and his wife, Christine Grady, 67, a nurse bioethicist, power walk 3.5 miles together daily.
Fauci, who has been director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 36 years, used to be an avid runner — he ran seven miles every day at lunchtime for years, as well as marathons. In 1984, he completed the Marine Corps Marathon in three hours and 37 minutes, his personal best, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Fauci said he switched to power walking because it’s gentler on his body. “I don’t run very much anymore because at the end of the run, various parts of my body hurt so much,” he told In Style.
Walking is great aerobic exercise, and it tends to be easier on the joints than running and other high-impact activities. It’s recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity) a week, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. A brisk walk for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, easily achieves that goal.
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These days, Fauci’s exercise takes place outdoors. And if you’re wondering if Fauci wears a mask while exercising outdoors in Northwest Washington D.C.? Yes, he told Yahoo! in June, but he will take breaks if there’s nobody around.
“When I see people coming and there are people walking on the street, I put the mask back on so that when I’m way far from them — maybe 40 feet, 30 feet, 20 feet — as soon as I pass them and I’m alone again, I’ll take it down a little,” he said. “I think that’s reasonable.”
