2 min readANTHONY RAMOS LEADS a busy life. He acts (most recently in The Beauty), sings, and is even a New York restaurateur. And if his schedule wasn’t packed-out enough, the Grammy-winning (and Emmy and Golden Globe nominated) multi-hyphenate has also added runner to his long list of titles. He completed the New York City Marathon in 2025. Ramos opened up about everything he does to maintain his jam-packed schedule and stay healthy at the 2026 Men's Health Lab held earlier this week in New York City—and he shared a unique training tip that made his long runs easier. Thankfully for other trainees, this hack is simple. It could be the perfect solution if you ever find yourself isolated on the road.
Lots of runners stave off the boredom that comes with hours on the road listening to music, podcasts, or even audiobooks to pass the time it takes to cover upwards of 20 miles at a time. Rather than queueing up an uptempo playlist, though, Ramos has a different strategy: He uses the time to call friends and family.
"You're out there for a few hours," Ramos says, " it's a good excuse to call someone. 'I'm running, I'm dying out here, so you tell me, please, how you're doing.' Sometimes, we weren't even talking—they were there to support me."
Ramos says he was grateful for all the people he called, since they gave him needed motivation throughout the training process. And he didn't need to wait until he closed in on the marathon finish line to get their encouragement, since he had the people most important to him in his ear during those training sessions to keep him going. "It wasn't even about talking on the phone. It was just, 'I'm here, I'm with you right now, while you're going through this training that is so difficult on your body and your mind,'" Ramos says.
Whether you're lacing up your shoes for the first time, or you're in the midst of training for your tenth race, Ramos' tip could be the extra boost you need. You could call a friend you haven't spoken to in a while and listen to them vent about their new job, or reach out to a family member who can pump you up as you get through that final mile. Ramos says his running habit is a reminder of how necessary it is to have encouragement in all parts of life.
"It's important to have people that support you, not just in the training and the running, but anything," he says. "We need support. We need people."
The 2nd annual Men’s Health Lab was hosted by Hearst Magazines in partnership with NYU Langone Health and presented by Boehringer Ingelheim and Gilead, with special thanks to Ensure Max Protein.
