By Sally Squires
Post
Tuesday, May 10, 2005; HE01

To most of us mere mortals, elite athletes often seem to eat right and stay in shape with an effortless grace. It's hard to imagine that they ever struggle to work out or are tempted to overeat and add unwanted pounds.

But former Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver Lynn Swann, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, is here to set the record straight.

At 53, Swann maintains his playing weight of 185 pounds. These days, he juggles work and family, including two sons, aged 7 and 8. In addition to performing his council duties, a voluntary, presidentially-appointed position, Swann is an on-air college football commentator for ABC, which keeps him traveling six months of the year. It's the kind of routine that often makes healthful eating and regular physical activity difficult to sustain.

Swann's schedule is likely to get even busier: He may run for governor of Pennsylvania as a Republican in 2006.

Swann said in a recent interview that he expects to resign from the President's Council in the next several months. "In mounting a campaign for governor, I would not be able to spend the same amount of time that I need to spend as chairman of the President's Council," he said.

Whether or not he enters politics, physical activity is a mainstay of his daily life. Here's what Swann suggests -- and practices himself -- to stay fit and to maintain a healthy weight:

Energize with exercise. "People who don't work out kind of wake up and just float through the day," Swann said. "They never get to the point where their body is revved up . . . and functioning at 100 percent. They don't have the same kind of energy or stamina" as those who stay active.

Something is better than nothing. When Swann finds his motivation lacking, he forces himself to get on a stationary bike. "We all have those moments where we don't feel like working out," he said. "Just going through the motions for 30 minutes a day is better than not being there."

Do double duty. Swann watches college game tapes while riding the stationary bike or using the elliptical trainer. "Exercise doesn't mean you're not working in other areas," he said.

Whittle waistlines slowly. Eat 1,800 calories daily, burn 2,200 calories daily and you'll create a "a gradual reduction in your weight," Swann said. How gradual? About three-quarters of a pound per week.

Have a Plan B . While waiting to go on the air, Swann is often surrounded by tempting, high-calorie food. His remedy: He packs himself a plastic bin marked "Swann's Healthy Food." "Some of the guys on the crew laugh at me," he said, "but it has Clif bars, cashews, raisins, protein bars, things that are transportable and will last for a long period of time."

Dare to be different. To help save time on the road after workouts, Swann sometimes showers in his gym clothes. He shampoos and lathers up with soap, then takes off his workout clothes and uses the excess suds to wash them. Unusual? Sure. But it's part of a routine that's uniquely his. Swann's basic exercise outfit is shorts, T-shirt and shoes, no socks.

Play the queen of hearts. Swann learned this trick from Navy Seals, who use a deck of cards to stay in shape in small quarters. Make each suit a different exercise. So hearts could be abs; diamonds, push-ups; clubs, core exercises; spades, squat thrusts. Draw the five of hearts and do five reps. Tens and face cards count for 10. Aces count for three sets of seven, so draw the ace of hearts and do seven crunches, seven full sit-ups and seven leg raises. "Anybody can do it," Swann said. "You can decide whether to make it cardio or how many times to go through the deck."

Stay active with your kids . Swann finds ways to work out with his sons. They pass the football, play golf, ride bikes, shoot hoops together. "We encourage physical activity all the time," he said.

Start small. "All the really good athletes weren't good overnight," Swann said, noting that progress begun at any level comes in stages.

His favorite inspirational example: Friend and former Nike attorney Howard Slusher, who in 1993 carried 335 pounds on his 5-foot-6 frame. "We tried to motivate and embarrass Howard into losing weight for years," Swann said, "and none of it worked."

Then at age 57, Slusher turned to some Nike trainers for help. They gave him a pair of shoes and told him to walk as far as he could. The first day he made it about 20 minutes. The next day he did the same thing. Within a few months, he ran his first 3K race and gradually worked up to marathons. He's run 19 of them and shed 170 pounds.

"About a year and a half ago I had knee surgery, and I put on about 25 pounds," said Slusher, now 68. "But I'm back to training and hope to run in the Disney marathon in Florida in January." ·

Share your tips or ask questions about healthy nutrition and activity when Sally Squires hosts the Lean Plate Club online chat, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. today, on www.washingtonpost.com. Can't join live? E-mail leanplateclub@washpost.com anytime. To learn more, and subscribe to our free e-newsletter, visit www.leanplateclub.com