How TV Anchor Jenna Lee Stays Healthy and Happy
At 5 a.m., the alarm rings and starts an "intense morning" for Jenna Lee, a co-anchor of FOX News Channel's Happening Now (which airs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET). She reads up on the news that happened overnight to prepare for the live broadcast and live interviews to come. Then after the show, Lee squeezes in a workout, answers emails and researches for the next day and future projects. News is 24/7!So how does the youngest anchor in cable news, who's also a newlywed, fit everything in with her busy schedule while staying healthy and happy? We discussed just that with Lee earlier this week.
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Was fitness always a passion of yours? My dad retired from the NFL in 1981, right after I was born. I was always on teams-including playing on my older brother's baseball team-taking dance, acrobatics or swimming. It's a habit I've kept up with.
What is your favorite way to stay in shape today?I used to be a big runner, but a varied schedule and varied workouts go well together. I like to do something new and different every day, whether that means hitting the gym, taking a spin or yoga class or doing interval running on the treadmill. And I found I feel better when I add in strength training.
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Do you have any specific classes that you love? I really enjoy Spin classes with weights, like FlyBarre, because you can get a great workout in 45 minutes. Music Yoga Flow at Exhale is also great because it's set to pop music and is light on chanting and heavy on the flow of poses.
Do you ever steal fitness tricks from your husband, who is a Navy SEAL?It's great to have a partner who values being fit too! He encourages me to try new things I wouldn't normally do, like practicing core stability on the BOSU ball. He also introduced me to CrossFit, and I now visit their website to find ideas for interval workouts.
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What do you both like to whip up in the kitchen? We both love hamburgers, but know we can't eat them daily! My husband is great in the kitchen and is trying to get me to eat more meat, so we make burger salads. We top lettuce with lean protein, then add all of the traditional burger toppings like ketchup, mustard, pickles and tomatoes. It's a go-to meal for us and I love it!
With such a fast-paced schedule, how do you stay well-fueled? I'm big on snacking since I anchor a show during what is the typical lunchtime. My diet is heavy on protein in the morning to keep my energy up-I grab a yogurt or one of the dozen hard-boiled eggs I make on the weekend. If I'm hungry before we go on-air, I'll have my lunch, then just snack until dinnertime.
Related: 13 Healthy Snacking Strategies
How do you fit in a workout on the busiest of days? I carve out a one hour slot in the afternoon to get active and get me away from my Blackberry! Planning ahead is really important with travel. I plan my "break" days according to my schedule and really push myself on days when I just have 30 minutes or less to exercise. Longevity doesn't mean efficiency!
Are you looking forward to the hectic, yet exciting election season ahead? I find the stories of the candidates to be most interesting-who they are and where they came from. It will be a really exciting time. A lot can change in a year!
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The 15-Minute De-Stress Workout
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The Ultimate Lunch-Hour Workout
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