On the Move
Michigan's First Couple makes sure they stay active no matter how busy their schedules
Governor Jennifer Granholm and her husband, First Gentleman Dan Mulhern lead a busy, active lifestyle. As Michigan’s first couple they have round the clock appearances and events that they attend. When they get home, they have three children to raise, and that means chores and homework. So how do they do it? How do they stay so healthy and fit? Healthy & Fit Magazine Publisher Tim Kissman asked Granholm and Mulhern to answer these questions via an e-mail interview. Here’s what the first couple had to say about keeping up with their health.
Q: How is your diet?
Mulhern: Pretty good. When you run long distances e.g. training for a marathon, you want to eat nutritious – and low fat - stuff.
Granholm: I try to eat well-rounded meals with fruits, vegetables, meat, a little bit of carbohydrate and a lot of protein.
Q: How much emphasis do you place on fitness in your life?
Granholm: Dan and I have always stressed the importance of physical activity and sports in our lives and the lives of our children. We are runners, and while it’s a little more challenging as governor, it is still a focal point. Our daughters and son play all kinds of sports, and one of our favorite family activities is going to one of their lacrosse games!
Mulhern: A lot. If I’m not fit—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—I’m not going to be very good for anyone.
Q: Who does the cooking?
Granholm: Let’s just say it’s a good thing that cooking is not a prerequisite for being governor.
Q: What is your favorite activity?
Mulhern: I love basketball but I’m getting too old and slow and cautious to find a game that works for me. So I run. In a busy life running is great, because all you need is a pair of shoes.
Granholm: I love running outdoors. And in Michigan, there are many beautiful places to do it.
Q: What’s on your iPod?
Granholm: James Taylor, Paul Simon, LaKisha Jones, and some classic Motown.
Mulhern: The Boss, Dave Matthews, some Michael Jackson (can’t beat the beat), and my latest favorite a not so well known Sam Moore.
Q: Do you do physical activity as a family?
Mulhern: We have had some awesome games of lightning, a basketball game like 21. Before we moved to Lansing, we had a basketball hoop in the ground, and one that we could move to the foot of the driveway on wheels. The pickup games with neighborhood kids were legendary. These days we toss a lacrosse ball around more “shoot the rock,” or sometimes run.
Granholm: Since I became governor in 2003, our family has participated in the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Run/Walk. It has become a great tradition!
Q: Do you find it hard to eat healthy in the professions that you’re in?
Mulhern: The biggest challenge is eating at all. Jennifer probably eats at one lunch or dinner for every 20 that she attends!
Granholm: I do find it hard, but it’s also really important when you are on the move all day. Each day, I try to eat many small snacks that are filled with protein to keep me energized.
Q: What kind of initiatives is the state doing to make Michigan healthier?
Granholm: The Michigan Steps Up campaign is perhaps the best in the country for offering useful tools to citizens. The One in a Million campaign, through which we are trying to get a million people to register for events sanctioned by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness is also a great initiative.
Q: If you could tell Michigan residents one thing, one piece of advice to help them become healthier, what would it be?
Mulhern: Do you mean besides reading Healthy & Fit Magazine? Be supremely clear about what you want to look and/or feel like. If it isn’t something that you deeply want, you’re not going to do it.
Granholm: We are working hard with the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness to get people up and moving. In fact, we have started a new program called Michigan Steps Up. It is a program where Michigan residents can assess their health risks, create a personal health plan, and record achievements and goals. If we continue to work together, we can make lasting changes that improve the quality of life in Michigan. You can visit the Web site at
www.michiganstepsup.org.
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