Black Belt and Blue Water
Less well known is FDR ’ s connection with the sea . He not only loved the oceans , but was a superb sailor . The skills he learned growing up at the sail continued to benefit him as he faced the political winds and waves of depression and war , while at the same time they continued to afford him relaxation , and relief from presidential tensions . During TR ’ s time as president it would have seemed impossible , but Franklin D . Roosevelt ’ s presidency was to overshadow even his .
A BRIEF GLANCE AT PRESIDENTS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES
Alexander Hamilton discussed the need for “ energy in the executive .” Of course , he meant power and authority in the office , but another kind of energy should exist among chief executives : literal physical and mental energy , the kind that normally requires physical exercise to maintain . Different presidents , of course , have fulfilled this need in differing ways . Those most consumed by politics , such as James K . Polk , Richard Nixon , and Lyndon Johnson were so driven by the demands of the office that it is doubtful that they would have had the time or the inclination to engage in formal exercise , or in sports , on a regular basis ( although see below for Nixon ).
The press during their recent presidencies was filled with images of Jimmy Carter , Bill Clinton , and George W . Bush jogging , and of Obama�at least in his early years as president�playing basketball skillfully . Certainly , the first President Bush maintained much of his physical ability during and after his presidency , as demonstrated by his practice of taking a birthday parachute jump well into his 80s . Golf has occupied a number of presidents throughout the last hundred years or so , such as Taft , Eisenhower , Ford , Clinton , Obama , and Trump .
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