Not only did President Obama shoot some hoops at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, he did a few push-ups as well. Obama's clowning around with the Harlem Globetrotters reminded us that he’s not the only high-powered leader who can break a sweat outside of the boardroom. From Fidel Castro’s chin-ups to the Bush boys’ running, check out these active leaders.
Don't underestimate the power of the chin-up. Fidel Castro used to do them, and he's managed to hold on into his old age.
Lee Lockwood, Time Life Pictures / Getty Images
Before Reagan was a Hollywood man, the future president was a do-everything sort of guy in high school and college. Reagan played football at Eureka College and was captain of the swim team. Here, President Reagan throws a coconut as he and his wife, Nancy, walk along the beach in Hawaii in 1987. On the next play, we’d love to see Nancy go long! It’s a Hail Nancy!
President George H.W. Bush once collapsed while jogging near Camp David in 1991. But that didn’t stop him from running or doing other extreme sports. He even went skydiving for his 85th birthday.
Diana Walker, Time Life Pictures / Getty Images
What did Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Anwar Sadat, and Saddam Hussein have in common? Aside from running their own countries, all four men also enjoyed a refreshing swim.
Clockwise from top left: Alexei Druzhinin-pool / AP Photos; Ronnie Shizer / AP Photos; AP Photos; Iraqi News Agency / AP Photos
Perhaps more than George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton made 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. a runner’s headquarters, going on jogs with his staff, Vice President Al Gore, and negotiating pols. But Bill knows what’s best for him: a good stretch at the end of a long workout. One look at those shorts and you can rest assured: we no longer are living in 1993.
Dennis Cook / AP Photos
Hugo Chávez really likes staying in shape. He inaugurated a gym by working out there in 2003. Nowadays, he continues to exercise whenever possible. He even released his own workout video last year.
Miraflore / Getty Images
It’s said that Tony Blair preferred relaxing sports like tennis, but he seemed perfectly happy running to raise money for charity back in 2004.
Michael Stephens, WPA-pool / Getty Images
The Bush family famously stays in shape. Like his father before him, George W. Bush enjoyed jogging and biking. And it looks as if all that working out paid off—almost four years out of office and he still hasn’t needed a heart transplant. The same can’t be said for everyone in his administration.
Charles Ommanney / Getty Images
Vladimir Putin is a man of nature, no doubt, proving the ultimate athlete by riding a horse—shirtless! The Russian prime minister and future president was sure to get a good core workout on this outing during a vacation in southern Siberia.
Alexey Druzhinin, AFP / Getty Images
Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip participated in a skiing competition in Sapporo City during a five-day visit to Japan. This is probably the most exciting thing about being the prime minister of Estonia.
TAKAFUMI NOGUCHI
Obama’s Final Four picks have become a national event each March, but POTUS loves to play just as much as he likes to watch. Obama earned quite the street cred when he needed 12 stitches on his lip after injuring it during a game. Not to mention his pickup games often included former body man Reggie Love, who played basketball at NCAA powerhouse Duke.
The prime minister is looking very “fit,” but maybe he is insecure—he still works out constantly.
WPA Pool / Getty Images
French President Nicolas Sarkozy must feel a lot of pressure to stay in shape—he is married to a supermodel, after all, so it’s definitely a good thing he likes working out so much.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s outgoing president, can only hope to be as butch and Billy Blanks–tough as dear friend Vladimir Putin. Here Medvedev is donning his best snow-bunny white coat for a quick trip down the Lago-Naki Plateau in Adygeya, Russia.
ITAR-TASS / Landov
The president is a man of his word—and good physical health, it seems. POTUS promised push-ups at a White House Easter Egg Roll if the Harlem Globetrotters made some tricky shots, and when they did, the first fella dropped and gave them two, twice! Michelle’s gotta be proud.
