What’s the “Best” Exercise? (Rebroadcast)

Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.6 • 32K Ratings

🗓️ 1 January 2015

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Most people blame lack of time for being out of shape. So maybe the solution is to exercise more efficiently.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Happy New Year. Beginning next week, we have a batch of brand new episodes to start
0:14.0	2015. For now, I think you can use this one, no offense. It's from last year. Trust me.
0:21.0	It's just as relevant today, maybe more so. Talk to you soon.
0:33.0	Hey, Freka Nomics. Is a college education still worth it? How much do parents really matter?
0:40.0	Should tipping be banned? How many parking spaces are you going to drive daily?
0:45.0	Hey, Freka Nomics. I have a question for you. From WNYC, this is Freka Nomics Radio, the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything.
0:57.0	Here's your host, Stephen Dupner.
1:05.0	Hey podcast listeners, we love it when you send us your questions like, hey, Freka Nomics, what's the best way to do this or that?
1:11.0	Hey, Freka Nomics, what's the story with such and such? Some of you are so smart. I'm not even sure you're real.
1:19.0	Hey, Freka Nomics. This is Jasmine.
1:22.0	All right, hey Jasmine. What would you like to know today?
1:25.0	I want to know what is the best, most efficient form of exercise. I want to get the most benefit for the least amount of time invested.
1:34.0	I don't have that much money either. Also, I am kind of lazy. Thanks, Freka Nomics.
1:41.0	All right, Jasmine. Let's see if we can answer your question. The best, most efficient form of exercise.
1:47.0	But let's start by examining the premise. Maybe you don't even need to exercise.
1:52.0	This exercise really is worthwhile as we think. So we put this question to David Meltzer.
1:57.0	He's our kind of guy. He's a doctor and an economist at the University of Chicago.
2:02.0	I think there's a lot of good evidence, both observational as well as experimental, that exercise really helps.
2:11.0	The numbers I often cite are that even something as simple as walking for half an hour a day, five days a week, raises your life expectancy by a year and a half.
2:22.0	And exercising more intensively than that on a daily basis can produce gains that are double that.
2:28.0	No offense, Freka Nomics, but I could have told you that exercise is good for me.
2:33.0	All right, I just want to make sure you're not wasting what little time you have.
	...

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