Even with the House’s new schedule — two weeks in Washington, followed by one week in the home district — as well as a fully stocked member gym, freshmen say they’ve still been caught off-guard by how busy they are — and how little time is left for exercise.
Lawmakers say an endless stream of lunchtime meetings, late-night hours and heavy travel schedules are largely to blame. A few nights a week of pizza for dinner, plus a Cinnabon at Reagan National Airport once a month, will do in anyone.
Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, has been logging in 25 to 30 miles a week of running around Washington, along with a high-impact routine of pushups and crunches, but not without difficulty.
“The winter weather does make my running routine challenging … but ol’ soldiers just man up,” he said.
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