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Staying Fit with Craig Melvin

The talented and hilarious Journalist/News Anchor gets candid about his fitness routine + love of Westport

Article by Anna Barnes

Photography by John Videler

Originally published in Westport Lifestyle

Happy New Year! Let’s start off with everyone’s favorite new year question: What is your 2019 New Year’s Resolution? 

I stopped making resolutions because by the time February rolls around, it’s easy to feel like a failure. In 2018, I wanted to focus on mindfulness. Now I’m borderline obsessed with the app, Headspace.

Since we’re talking health + wellness, what’s your favorite way to stay fit?

Definitely running. Not because its cathartic, I honestly just don’t want to be morbidly obese. My favorite route is right in downtown Westport. I jog down Main Street and eventually cross the bridge over the water. It’s about 4.5 miles. In the winter, I’m in the gym. I’m an elliptical guy and I need 20 minutes of cardio or I don’t feel like I’ve worked out sufficiently. I work out by the practice of low weight, high reps. I guess you could say I’m old school when it comes to the gym.

We all have that move we dread in the gym. What’s yours?

Easy. Ab work and I loathe pushups but a trainer told me it’s the most effective exercise for my body.

You’re a very busy guy. On top of your day job, you're a husband and a father to two small kiddos. How do you keep your energy up? You really do it all.

Catnaps whenever I can. Usually when I'm riding in the car and occasionally I'll catch a nap in my office. I drink, what could be considered by most, an unhealthy amount of coffee, starting at about 5 a.m. I also once read that drinking a gallon of water every day will greatly impact your energy, so I do what I can to stay hydrated. I avoid big lunches because I can't afford the afternoon sluggishness. 

Once the caffeine wears off, how do you unwind?

As a family, we try to have dinner together a few nights per week. After the kids go down, my wife Lindsay and I relax or maybe watch a show together. When we can, we like to factor in a date night in town.

For someone who is well into their job when the majority of us are just waking up, what time do you go to sleep? 

I like to call it a night by 9:30. That’s a good night. The hardest part is the weekend when my body clock wakes me up around 4:30-5 a.m.

How do you stay motivated?

If I didn’t do what I do for a living, I’d probably be 300 pounds. My primary motivation for hitting the gym is that I don’t want to look fat on TV. I work out and exercise with the mindset: get the biggest bang for your buck. For me, that is cardio over weights. 

What's your favorite way to indulge?

My mom’s macaroni & cheese is my very favorite thing to eat. Six different types of cheese. Heavenly. But I’m not eating that every day—so I’ll say a nice glass of bourbon. I know my limits. I could lose 10 pounds if I cut out alcohol, but how fun is that? It’s not. 

What made you want to call Westport home?

Initially, it was proximity. Lindsay, was at ESPN while I was in the city - but we've come to realize that Westport is the perfect place to raise a family. We love the walkability, the downtown area, the proximity to the beach and that everyone is so nice. 

  • At work on the set of NBC's Today