In the current issue of "O" magazine (September 2006), there is an article that dovetails nicely with the motivation/how do you make time to exercise topic I've been dealing with lately in this blog.

In the article, "If They Can Do It..." Julie Scelfo asks five powerhouse political women -- including Condoleeza Rice, Hillary Clinton, Karen Hughes, Margaret Spellings and Loretta Sanchez -- how they stay fit to rule and find time to exercise.

I found the section on Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State, to be especially inspiring (and...I'm not even on her "side";).

Here are a few excerpts from the article:

"You would think waking up at 4:30 a.m. and having to exercise and get dressed and be at my desk by 6:30 a.m. would be difficult, says Rice, one of the most powerful women in the world, "but it's the occasional morning when I don't work out that I'm completely discombobulated." "Generally, she says 'I go up to my upstairs workout room and do 40 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill."

She goes on to say that twice a week -- one night and Saturday morning -- she works out with a trainer for a little more than an hour. And, one day a week, she takes off and plays tennis or sports.

Even while traveling -- an average of 24,000 miles a month, according to the article, Condoleezza finds time to exercise. "I've worked out in the U.S. embassy in Moscow, in a woman's-only gym in Bahrain," she says, and when she absolutely can't 'I just don't feel as under control. I miss very few days, frankly."

Each of these powerful women emphasized that, for them, exercise is not negotiable. No matter the depth or breadth of their responsibilities, they will make time for themselves to exercise and strengthen their bodies.

You have to respect that.

They are powerful women -- inside and out.
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