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7 Tricks to Boost Your Metabolism

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Workout Tips From the Experts

Get results with advice from members of the Gold's Gym Fitness Institute.

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Health

The Top 10 Fittest Presidents

When we say somebody is "fit to be president," we usually mean his experience is vast and intelligence up to par. But what about actual physical fitness? With election season in full swing, we decided to take a break from politics as usual to create our own version of the Presidential Fitness Awards. Our extensive research revealed that these 10 standouts meet the Gold's Gym standard for fittest presidents.

Scroll over each photo to see how these presidents stay(ed) in shape. Then choose the one you think deserves the title of healthiest president by clicking on the button next to his name.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS (1825–1829) One of the most intelligent and disciplined men to lead the country, Adams was a beacon of physical and intellectual fitness. The sixth president kept his body almost as active as his mind, taking a three- to four-mile walk every day before dinner during his tenure. He swam in the Potomac (some say naked) to stay in shape and was a fisherman, a gardener and a horseback rider. GEORGE W. BUSH (2001–Present) His popularity might be low, but his body-fat percentage is lower. President Bush, an avid cyclist, takes a daily multivitamin and steers clear of alcohol and cigarettes. In addition to his own stringent regimen — said to be six days of exercise a week — he has tried to get the rest of the population in shape with the President's Challenge, which asks people to log five days of physical activity a week for six out of eight weeks. JIMMY CARTER (1977–1981) A fly-fishing expert, this former president was - and still is - an insatiable outdoorsman. Since boyhood, Carter has enjoyed physical activities that range from hunting and fishing to mountain climbing and skiing. In his book 'An Outdoor Journal,' Carter wrote, 'the urge within me to be in the woods and fields or along a stream is such a strong and pleasant desire that I have no inclination to withstand it.' GERALD FORD (1974–1977) The longest-living ex-president, Ford, who died at 93 in 2006, perhaps owed some of his longevity to his love of sports. He played as center on his high school football team and won a football scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he was voted MVP his senior year. He turned down professional contracts with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears for a career in law and politics, during which he stayed athletic with golf, swimming and other exercises. HERBERT HOOVER (1929–1933) The New York Times called him 'notoriously lackadaisical,' but Herbert Hoover's physician quickly remedied that with the invention of a challenging combination of tennis and volleyball that employed a medicine ball and an eight-foot-tall net. The game was later dubbed Hoover-ball, and its namesake got his exercise by playing nearly every morning at 7 a.m. before official White House business began. THOMAS JEFFERSON (1801–1809) One 'self-evident truth' that Jefferson believed in was that a person should be both physically and mentally fit. 'Health is worth more than learning,' he wrote. 'A strong body makes the mind strong.' The legendary author of the Declaration of Independence enjoyed horseback riding, fishing and taking long walks, the latter of which he thought could be used to clear one's mind. THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1901–1909) If anybody was destined for ill health, it was Roosevelt, who battled many ailments in childhood. But he fought through them and later took up a number of physical activities, including boxing, horseback riding and hunting. He was a fan of what he called 'the strenuous life,' which meant pushing his physical limits. A big proponent of the outdoors, Roosevelt lived for a while as a cowboy. ZACHARY TAYLOR (1849–1850) Getting enough exercise didn't always center on jogging or lifting weights. Military activity was a fundamental way to whip your body into shape, and Taylor served in the Army for 40 years. Fiercely against southern secession, he was known as 'Old Rough and Ready,' more than willing to throw himself into battle and fight for his cause. Despite his devotion to fitness, Taylor's time in office was cut short when he died from what may have been cholera. HARRY S TRUMAN (1945–1953) When this president was sworn in, he appeared the picture of health compared with his predecessor, the polio-plagued Franklin D. Roosevelt. While serving in the White House, Truman exercised by going on regular fast-paced walks in the morning and swam frequently. He was also responsible for establishing the first horseshoe pit on White House grounds and for installing two bowling lanes in the West Wing. GEORGE WASHINGTON (1789–1797) It's got to take some guns to be the first man to run a newly formed nation, but Washington wasn't just any worthy leader. As a boy, the Virginia native kept active by canoeing down the Shenandoah River. He survived a case of smallpox, which gave him immunity that helped him stave off the disease when it later plagued his troops during the American Revolution. He also enjoyed dancing.