Jeff Terry, 44, St. Joseph, Michigan, Global head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Amway Corporation
Age: 44 (but I make a damn good-looking 54 year old)
How often do you exercise? Four to five days per week
Brief description of your workout routine: Currently running 20-40 minutes first thing in the morning; cycling 20-40 minutes in the evenings; incorporate weight training on weekends; swimming to begin in February
Jeff and Fitz working the OC Marathon!
Brief description of your eating habits:
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit; peanut butter on a whole wheat English muffin
Snacks: multiple times per day – nuts or granola bars
Lunch: Half of a turkey sandwich or a granola bar
Dinner: Full meal with primary protein (meat – chicken, fish and reducing red meat to once or twice a week), whole grain carbs and vegetables.
Favorite workout: I love running outside; lifting triceps, back and shoulders (of course, I’m a guy)
Least favorite way to workout? I hate running on treadmills – they’re boring as hell.
How does fitness affect you as a professional? It helps clear my mind and bring me focus, not to mention the increased levels of energy
Would you be as good at what you do if you didn’t pursue fitness? Yes; confidence has never been an issue for me.
How do you squeeze fitness in on a crazy busy day? I have to do it first thing in the morning and late in the evenings. Beyond work, when I’m home I spend three hours a day driving.
How do you fight the urge to skip workouts? Set big goals (races, events), and smaller monthly goals to get me ready for the races. I will pull out my journal where I have these goals written down.
If you travel, what kind of workouts do you do on the road? Running and weight training. I always stay in hotels with good gyms.
What other obstacles do you face (health-wise) as part of your work? Have you found a way to overcome them? I travel extensively for my work in the developed and developing world. This makes eating well and finding the time to train challenging. My traveling days are long, and typically include dinners and drinks. I won’t lie, its hard to work out every day; but I try to make a point each day, first to run and/or lift. When in the office, I move around a lot but I sit in a car for three hours each day. I use these driving hours to focus my mind on priorities in life, not just work, spending as much time focusing on my physical training, life and work priorities to ensure I’m living an aligned life with my life’s purpose. This helps ensure proper balance of individual priorities, family and work.
Does your company offer incentives for exercising or eating right? If so, how do you take part? Amway has an employee enrichment program called ‘Optimal You.’ ‘Optimal You’ is an annual effort for employees to track their health and diet which gives us incentives to go through a series of steps over the course of the year and, if successful, we get a discount on health insurance premiums.
Greatest accomplishments in fitness/athletics: Becoming a PGA Professional while working a full-time job and having a family
Do you have family? If so, how do you juggle work, fitness and family: I’m married with three kids (13, 10 and 8). Honestly, it’s hard; so I try to incorporate them into an active lifestyle. We run as a family at times. My youngest is a good athlete and wants to join me in triathlons. Also, I coach baseball and soccer.
Must-have training equipment: Running Shoes – I love my Nike Flex Experience RN 2/3 shoes
Favorite training tune: Shockingly, I rarely listen to music when training; training is very introspective for me in a different way than music is. Yes, I’m a bit mental.
Favorite healthy food: Bananas and yogurt smoothies with strawberries and bananas
Favorite not-so-healthy food: Pizza (and beer)
Do you think fitness is a factor in being successful in business? Why or why not? Good nutrition along with fitness helps ensure my mind is fresh and clear, which can only help me be more successful in business and life, for that matter. Plus, Amway is the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of vitamins and dietary supplements, and I run nutrition programs for malnourished children all over the world. I am a big believer in, “Your actions speak louder than your worlds.” I must represent good health if I’m trying to help others realize better health.
What fit professional inspires you? Cal Ripken Jr.
Advice for others trying to become more fit: Invest in yourself. Only YOU can create the joy in your life. You will never be the best you can be in this world without prioritizing yourself.
Best piece of business advice you’ve ever received: Too much of any good thing can become a bad thing! In other words, all things in appropriate moderation.
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