John Quincy Adams Loved Morning Cardio
Early birds have an advantage when it comes to personal fitness. Morning exercise can reduce appetite, stop weight gain, and even improve your ability to sleep at night, according to studies. John Quincy Adams was the only person who truly appreciated the benefits of morning exercise. Adams would get up at five, take a cold bath, and read a few chapters from his German-language Bible before serving as America's ambassador to Russia. Breakfast was followed by a 6-mile walk.
The politician loved establishing new objectives, just like any good fitness expert would. President James Monroe appointed Adams secretary of state in 1817. Adams preferred skinny dipping to walk while serving in the Cabinet; his go-to spot was the Potomac River.
He set a personal record in 1822 by being in the Potomac for 50 minutes without reaching the bottom. He continued doing it for 80 minutes the very next year. But future First Lady Louisa Adams made sure that Adams wasn't permitted to surpass himself after that accomplishment. She persuaded her middle-aged spouse to reduce his swimming time to hour-long sessions with the advice of a doctor. Unfazed, the Secretary of State made the most of his brief exercises by diving in fully dressed, which increased the amount of resistance.
