He would soon be changing clothes again to attend a meeting about reorganizing the University's Commonwealth Educational System. Although he is one of the busiest people at the University, Spanier still finds time to exercise. He currently tries to play racquetball about three times a week. He has about a dozen partners, including a former women's world champion. He also tries to squeeze in a few games of basketball with his son.
Racquetball is a good way to get a lot of exercise in an hour.
In tennis, I found I was chasing the ball all the time. Spanier is not the first University president to get a lot of exercise. Former University presidents Joab Thomas and Bryce Jordan golfed and played tennis, respectively. Playing racquetball burns the second highest amount of calories per minute, according to Lee Bateman, president of the Pennsylvania Racquetball Association. In a one-hour match, a player can burn more than 700 calories and run the equivalent of two miles.