When former President Bill Clinton went running, CNN news cameras followed.
When the president has a physical, his doctor holds a press conference.
Knowing the physical activity and condition of the president is a national media trend. Whether he’s running, having a physical or “eating” a pretzel, the activity is a leading story on television stations and in newspapers around the country.
And then there’s the local executive, University President Dave Frohnmayer.
More than two years after his serious health scare, daily exercise is still an essential part of Frohnmayer’s life. Regardless of his schedule or his location, he makes a point to exercise.
Every morning, Frohnmayer takes a vigorous power walk between 6 and 7 a.m. If it is raining, he will walk on the treadmill, and if he is out of town he refuses to stay at a hotel without an exercise facility.
Frohnmayer’s wife, Lynn Frohnmayer, said he almost never misses a day. She will walk with her husband sometimes, but she said it’s difficult trying to keep up.
“We usually walk from McMorran (Street) to the river and back,” she said. “He walks really fast. I have a hard time keeping up with him.”
But daily exercise has not always been routine for Frohnmayer.
“I’m different now compared to seven years ago,” he said. “I now have a very regular fitness program.”
In October 1999, during a speech at the National Institute of Health, Frohnmayer suffered cardiac arrythmia, collapsing in mid-sentence.
“I don’t remember much of what happened,” he said. “I was told that I stopped mid-sentence and fell forward. I was resuscitated for 29 minutes.”
At the time, Frohnmayer was at his third national meeting in four days. He said he did not get much sleep the night before and was drinking a lot of caffeine. A month prior to the incident, he had had a routine physical and was given a clean bill of health with no foreseeable problems. The heart trouble was highly unexpected, and Frohnmayer said it was a life-changing experience.
“I got a second chance,” he said. “That was as close to a wake-up call as you can get. It definitely inspired lifestyle changes.”
In December 1999, Frohnmayer started physical therapy at Sacred Heart Medical Center’s Cardiac Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center. Sarah Grall, his cardiac physical therapist, described Frohnmayer as an extremely committed patient. She was particularly impressed with his dedication to his physical therapy program in spite of his busy schedule.
“He was very disciplined,” Grall said. “He made time to take care of himself. For someone with his schedule, I was impressed with his ability to commit himself.”
Grall worked with Frohnmayer for almost a year. They did aerobic training and upper extremity conditioning and strengthening. Grall said he also learned about his physical responses, such as heart rate and blood pressure, during their sessions. Even though Frohnmayer does not attend physical therapy anymore, Grall said he gives her updates on his continued progress.
“When I see him, he always tells me that he’s been doing his walking,” Grall said. “It’s great to hear that.”
While Frohnmayer continues walking, he also enjoys other physical activities such as hiking, river rafting, skiing and biking. During spring break, he went skiing in Whistler, British Columbia.
But while he maintains a healthy diet, he does enjoy the occasional “guilty pleasure.”
“It can be pretty hard to resist eggs Benedict at a Sunday morning breakfast,” he said.