Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/46359
live in a man's world Eric Foxman By Caroline Radaj Men's Health magazine was on the hunt. They were looking to find "the healthiest man in America," but they didn't want to deter- mine the winner using conventional standards like body mass in- dex and workout habits. Instead, the publication's staff did a little "demographic number crunching" to determine their ideal healthy man. Their data pointed them to search for someone who is a white, Jewish male between the ages of 20 and 39, a non-smoker, mar- ried, no taller than 5 feet 7 inches and right-handed. Their search started in Madison, which the publication had labeled its "Best City for Men" in 2011, and ended when they found Eric Foxman, a local father of two who fit the criteria, and then some. A personal trainer for 16 years (and owner of Balance Personal Training), Foxman has found a formula for living a healthy, happy life that works for him—and his clients as well. As someone who says eating a piece of cheesecake once in a while is just fine, his out- look is one worth sharing. How did Men's Health track you down when they were looking for America's "healthiest" man? The Jewish Federation of Madison sent out an e-mail [about the search]. I started looking at the criteria and thought this is some kind of a hoax. But I wound up calling [to submit my information] and soon after [I found out I had been chosen]. I almost started laughing because it's not like you're training for this. I think the fact I'm a trainer probably tipped it over the edge for me. Why did you become a personal trainer? I [played] sports growing up [and] picked up the camaraderie and the uplifting aspect of team sports from my dad. He's a psycholo- gist, so his goal was never about winning, it was about everyone try- ing and working together as a team. So that became my approach. Being able to help people physically is something I really enjoy. You've said that you aren't about a one-size-fits-all approach to healthy living. What is your style of training? It's never about [one method of getting fit], but more about be- ing healthy and comfortable with yourself. I like to call my training Sherlock Holmes training; I see what my clients can do and little wheels turn in my head. I don't do a particular program because I've found people don't do well with things like that. People need to be flexible in their workouts…if you drill people about eating healthy and working out on a plan, you put people in the wrong frame of mind. Quick Time with Foxman Straight talk from America's healthiest guy What is your food guilty pleasure? A cheeseburger. Chocolate is high up there also. Do you have a bad habit you wish you would break? Leaving the toilet seat up. 30 BRAVA Magazine October 2011 When you're not training others, how do you like to kill time? Reading. I love historical fiction. I also like to cook. I have some very good recipes and sometimes my clients and I will switch recipes. Your job is to work out. How else do you stay active? Informally I'm always playing around with the kids, working in the yard or plowing the driveway in the winter. I just like doing stuff. Meet the local personal trainer crowned "the healthiest man in America" You came to Madison from Los Angeles. Why Madison? My wife and I met in grad school at University of California–Irvine in Los Angeles. Her hometown is Traverse City, Mich., which is a small town, so LA wasn't working for her. I did some homework and…Madison came up in my top 10. In comparison to LA, where it's such a rat race, you get to enjoy [life] here. What's the best advice you've ever been given? My dad said the two most important things are to be competent and to be a loving person. Beyond creating a healthy life for yourself, do you have any other goals you'd like to tackle? I would like to use this as a springboard to write a book. I've been training for a long time and I have a lot of experience from [working with] great clients. I think it would be a unique opportunity to be able to share it with more people. I'm on page 38 and I have no idea where it's going! What's your biggest advice for living a healthy lifestyle? Just have fun. Health is serious but if you enjoy yourself and have a good time, that is going to be a lot more important than getting upset over eating a piece of cheesecake. ••• Photo by Shanna Wolf