Continued from Dr. Oz’s Diet.
You might think that a 46-year-old guy who is one of America’s top heart surgeons would hit the treadmill hard every day.
But Dr. Oz, who works an average of 16-hour days with 10 surgeries a week, has precious little time for long, dedicated cardio workouts.
He needs his daily exercise time to multitask and accomplish more than just conditioning; he uses it to wring away tension, bond with colleagues, spend time with his kids, and several other differing missions. Here are Dr. Oz’s five top cardio workouts:
Power yoga: Dr. Oz has practiced yoga for 15 years. While he enjoys the mental aspect of it, he combines traditional yoga with more rigorous forms so he can get the spiritual and cardiovascular benefits.
Power yoga gives him the chance to work hard but then also meditate at the end of the session, or even while in it. “I’m very hyperactive, so it helps get my body busy and my mind quiet,” he says.
Basketball: On the weekends, Dr. Oz plays basketball with people from work. Again, the physical rewards are only partly the motivation; the main reason is the competition. “I love the challenge of beating the other person,” Oz admits.
“I always want to be on the weaker team, because I love the upset – the challenge is what’s enjoyable.” Hoops also gives him insight about human nature. “I learn a lot about people by watching them play and interacting with them,” he says, “to see whether they give up, how driven they are, how ferocious they are.”
Literally, to see which ones have heart. “It teaches me how folks control their emotions and think smart about winning, rather than just hustle. It shows me their mental resilience.”
Tennis: Dr. Oz, a lifelong athlete who played football and water polo at Harvard, also likes tennis for the same reasons he likes basketball – the competition, the challenge, and the “playing” aspect of exercise.
Cycling: Dr. Oz prefers to ride outside, but if that’s impossible, Oz will hop on the stationary bike at the end of the day to break a sweat while catching up on work or reading (another multitasking opportunity).
Running: The best part about running, Dr. Oz says, is that he can do it anywhere, any time. He doesn’t have to schedule meeting times for this activity like he does with basketball and tennis. On an average run (about 4 miles), Oz likes mixing up his pace with interval-type training.
For example, he’ll find some point in the distance and go all-out to that point. “Or if I go by a football or soccer field, I’ll head there and run a 100-yard dash – it reminds me of playing sports in school,” he says.