When it comes to something as life and death important as to what to feed ourselves and our families,

we should rely not on anecdotes, but on facts.

Welcome to the Nutrition Facts podcast.

I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger.

There is undeniable evidence that regular physical activity will aid in the prevention of chronic disease,

but how much exercise is enough?

Here's our first story.

Compared to sedentary individuals, physically active men and women may have approximately 30% lower risk of premature death.

Even just walking 15 minutes a day may reduce mortality risk by... with 30% lower risk of premature death.

Even just walking 15 minutes a day may reduce mortality risk by 15%.

Mortality rates continue to drop about 4% for each additional 15 minutes of moderate exercise

a day like walking, plateauing out at about 90 minutes a day.

What does that translate to in terms of time?

The life expectancy for those walking just 15 minutes a day

would be about three years longer compared to those who don't exercise regularly,

and those meeting the recommended 30 minutes a day live about four years longer.

If you jog a few hours a week or in the top 5% of cardiorespiratory fitness,

you may live 5 or 6 years longer.

Exercising for 20 minutes may add an hour to your life.

So for all those who say they don't have time

to work out, exercising gives us like a three-to-one return on investment. Give 20 minutes of

your life to get 60 minutes of life. Beyond that, there's a bit of diminishing returns,

...