You Can Burn 200 Calories Caucusing for Martin O’Malley*
Let’s have some fun today.
If you’re paying attention to anything on television, then you know today is the big day. Welcome to the Iowa Caucuses. It’s a pretty big deal for all of the presidential candidates because- lets face it- they’ve spent millions of dollars convincing one state to pick them first and launch them forward in their race to the white house. While Iowa doesn’t equal victory, candidates can get serious street cred if they do. But to win Iowa, you have to convince a bunch of people to show up on a Monday night for a few hours and support you.
Welcome of Caucusing 101.
While Democrats and Republicans have their own ways of caucusing, the premise is similar. People gather into a school or gymnasium and lobby for the candidates of their choosing. At the end of the night, the results are tallied and one candidate emerges as a winner and runs off to New Hampshire to convince people to pick them next (needy much?). Sounds simple right? Not quite.
Caucusing can take anywhere from an hour to three hours and it happens on a weeknight. If you thought getting people to vote in an election once a year was hard, try getting them out in a school night. Voting twice is a sick joke (unless you’re in Chicago).
But I have the perfect incentive for Iowa. Did you know caucusing actually burns calories and (can be) healthy… Healthier than staying home and Netflixkng. More specifically caucusing for Democratic presidential candidate, Governor Martin O’Malley.
You’re going to have to wait in line and stand (a lot).
It might sound obvious, but you usually burn more calories standing than sitting. Your heart rate is usually about 10 beats higher usually equaling 0.7 more calories burned per min. Stand for three hours and that’s an extra 150 calories that day. That’s like… A snack that you buy at the store. That adds up at the end of the day.
You might have to defend the governor
Everyone has the change to defend their candidate, you know try and convince everyone else that they should come to your side. Speeches can last anywhere from 5–25 mins with people getting pretty passionate (#DeanScream) in their speeches (remember, you’re caucusing on a weeknight, so you must care). You’re nervous, palms sweaty and the whole knees weak thing means your heart rate is elevated and you’re going to be squirmy. You speak for 10 mins while standing up and feeling like jello, you’ll burn 10 calories. Congrats, the former governor would be proud.
So you’ll have to vote for someone else now.
Sadly, it’s not likely that O’Malley will hit the threshold required to qualify in many counties. If he can’t hit the 15% threshold because the Bern and the Clinton Machine are just too strong, then you’ll have to choose another candidate. As a democrat you have the option to choose another candidate or go take your passion for the governor and go home. Because you’re committed (Monday night = passion), you’re gonna stay and choose a new candidate. After listening to Hillary’s supporters remind you they’re ready for her and the Bernie fan club rebuke the millionaires and billionaires you choose another candidate, walking across the room in the process. Trust me, you burned some calories. We’ll give you 20 more. That doesn’t include the tears you’ll shed later that night in disappointment.
The Grand Total
So you did it. So after a night of caucusing and participating in the political process you can expect to burn about 200 calories standing around, talking and convincing others to vote for your candidate. This doesn’t include walking home in the Iowa cold or the additional fits of passion you might encounter that night (something tells me caucusing in a room with Trump supporters might cause some undue headaches). The only thing you have to do is not binge eat that night in sadness. No matter how many calories you burn, getting involved in the political process is better than staying home watching it happen on television. So if you’re in Iowa (and registered), go and caucus for your O’Malley. It’s healthy and your civic duty.
For the record, I wont be caucusing. I live in the district. Ha. This article orginially apeared in the fitpolitico.com.
