A major challenge for any former athlete is finding a way to stay in shape and live a healthy lifestyle.
Football, in particular, is a physically demanding sport that requires peak athleticism, but once players are away from the team's facilities, they often struggle to maintain fitness.
Frank Grant, a Redskins wide receiver from 1973-78, had to adjust his workout regimen when he retired 33 years ago. He varies his workout routine.
"I'm still pushing weights – not heavy weights, but light weights," he said during a recent PLAY 60 event at Redskins Park. "I'm jogging, anywhere from 3-4 miles and biking an hour a day at least, but some days two hours."
Grant had 149 career receptions for 2,486 yards and 18 touchdowns, mostly with the Redskins. At the end of his playing career, the constant running had taken a toll on his knees, forcing him to turn to biking.
"Cycling is great for your cardio," he said. "It's working for me. It's a lot less stressful on the body and my knees still feel good."
Grant's introduction to cycling was far from ideal, however.
"I've been biking now since about 1983," he said. "That's when a friend said, 'Hey, come out and do this bike ride with me.' So we rode from McLean [Virginia] to Dewey Beach [Delaware]. I was wearing jeans on a bike, and these guys were out there in these Tour de France outfits with spandex. I'm on some 40-pound clunker and I'm riding to the beach. I had my learning experience right there."
Grant has upgraded his cycling equipment and his wardrobe since then, of course. And cycling has allowed him to stay in peak physical condition into his 60s.
"[Cycling] has kept me in pretty good shape, so I'm able to eat whatever I want to eat," he said. "It has kept my weight down."
Grant noted that while it was easier to work out with teammates during his playing days, he now prefers working out on his own.
"Working in an organized environment, it was easier because you enjoy the spirit of being there and everybody working together," he explained. "Everybody gets tired together. But when you're by yourself, you kind of get lost in just doing your thing. For me, I have a tendency to want to push myself more. So I've gotten used to it."
