Exercise Is Really Good for You. Like, REALLY Good for You.

What are the benefits of exercise? Is exercise all that good for you? Yes, yes, and yes. Studies overwhelmingly indicate that exercise has a LOT of benefits. I wrote a piece on exercise and weight for The New York Times a couple months ago, and I'm going to talk about that next week. But a lot of people took that column to mean that exercise isn't important or helpful. That's so wrong that I want to address that first. Exercise, and the good it can do you, is the topic of this week's Healthcare Triage.
For those of you who want to read more, go here: theincidentaleconomist.com/wor...
John Green -- Executive Producer
Stan Muller -- Director, Producer
Aaron Carroll -- Writer
Mark Olsen -- Graphics
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[@flygonfinch]

I started feeling way better after I went to college and started walking or biking to my classes, no one had ever really told me that even such a minor change in exercise could help.

[@radishraccoon3657]

I remember reading a really interesting article about the benefits of doing even really (like, *really*) small amounts of exercise, compared to doing none at all. The study was inspired because so many people are put off of exercising because they feel like they have to do a certain amount of exercise per week or they won't get any benefit at all and there's no point. This creates an entry barrier when people might otherwise be able to slowly build up to the recommended basic level. I can't remember the exact results, but it was looking at doing something like 3 minutes of intense exercise every other day. And the test subjects did experience improvements in health and quality of life. The article was basically arguing that we should be encouraging those who don't exercise at all to just do *any* amount extra, because it's still better than nothing, rather than necessarily pushing the more intimidating-sounding 30 minutes per day (even though this is only moderate exercise as explained in the video and can be reached reasonably easily).

[@lynns4122]

Thanks!

[@cpoterry]

3:26 You can just hear the frustration in his voice at how easy it can be to get in the needed exercise and yet people say "it's so hard" hahaahaaa. Great video as always!

[@cpoterry]

He really does break it down so nicely, the tricks we can play on ourselves will always impress me haha. But it really is great to see the comforting truth of a healthy balanced approach to life being spoken of on such a well respected channel.

[@lineikatabs]

Wow, so many RCTs on the subject! I guess people REALLY don't want to exercise. "Yeah, but is it really really really THAT good? Like really? Let's do another RCT, just to be sure."

[@Gigaheart]

***** That's because it is difficult, expensive, and time consuming.

[@SuicidalLaughter]

Scheefinator yep walking is so difficult and expensive, been spending my entire paycheck on walking classes, and I have to say its the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. -_-

[@spartycool]

SuicidalLaughter RCTs are expensive

[@SuicidalLaughter]

Spartacus his comment implied exercise was expensive

[@Gigaheart]

SuicidalLaughter It is expensive. Going to a gym is NOT cheap, buying exercise stuff, adds up. Even walking has investments and not everyone can do that, either. Don't take your legs for granted.

[@coewayboulder]

Fantastic video. I love how you started with really strong evidence (RCT and meta-analyses) before giving *truly* practical advice (what many people fail to do, either because they exaggerate what is really needed, or communicate ineffectively). I really like how you gave the bare minimum (and scientifically back it up), because, I think, despite ambitious attempts, that's probably what a significant proportion of people will end up settling for (me for example). Also, this avoids the very real possibility of some people not even attempting to exercise because they think the objective is unattainable. So thank you very much for this video and good job -- Medical student from Singapore

[@LittlePixieBot]

I love to exercise. I started increasing low impact cardio, but without slow warm up. I now have a repetitive injury in my knee. The goof news is there is no pain and my knees look normal. My orthopedist is having me do physical therapy. I hope to learn some things to help protect my knees.

[@bryceharper6536]

I'm telling you guys. This is the best channel ever on KZbin. I'd spend a life time watching this. Such a trustful resource of information. Love it!

[@ryanhollist3950]

I'm so glad to hear someone actually giving a properly moderate explanation about what it is to be appropriately active. Like you say in the video, far too many people talk about exercise in a way where they have to be doing everything to such an extreme of perfection that it discourages others from doing anything. I had experiences with friends who seriously tried to get me to not bother exercising if I wasn't doing what they thought was the most "ideal" method on the right equipment.

[@jml21000]

this (and probably next week's video) is everything I've been looking for, finally, thank you

[@christianduque2907]

I love your channel, sir. Keep up the good work.

[@AssClappicus]

Very informative anecdote, supplements the rest of the video really well. Thanks, Aaron!

[@Hamletstwin]

Thank you Dr. Carroll! this video has helped my self-esteem tremendously. I had gastric bypass and lost 200lbs. which was great for awhile but I developed back issues from having to use muscles I "never" used before I've really been struggling just to get functionality back. However those exercises take at least 30minutes a day. Its nice to have validation that I'm doing enough for now to be healthy.

[@candaceyoung9369]

Facts!!!! I been working out 4/5 days a week.. both cardio/Strength/Calisthenics.. faithfully since I was 18.. 34 years later at 52.. I teach indoor cycling.. Weight training and personal trainer. I work full time as well., I still get around like I am in my early 30s.. no health issues at all!! Plus I look 10 to 15 years younger than my age.. nothing better than fitness and good eating. I love it.. can’t see my life without it!!!

[@Chugosh]

Yeah, I lost all of my 165 pounds without significant exercise. But now I am pursuing a routine of getting into the gym six days a week for a combination of cardio and weight training. I have seen in the past few months a very nice increase in muscle and in general vigor, and while it has not done much for my chronic pain issues, it does help me endure that pain a little better so that I am able to give away my dependence on heavy pain medication.

[@BartBVanBockstaele]

I like that. Well done. I will never make it that far because it would make me underweight. That said, I lost my 64 kg exactly like you: without significant exercise.

[@1filosofo1]

I really enjoy this kind of videos. I have improved my quality of life a lot. Thanks. Keep uploading videos.

[@princessmia737]

Thanks so much for making this video. I'm someone who was taught through traditional PE classes at school that exercise looks like someone running a mile without stopping, and that I wasn't fit or healthy if I wasn't able to do that. We got punished for not being able to maintain hardcore aerobic exercise for the 1.5 hours we had gym class each day. As someone with exercise-induced asthma, this led to a deep hatred and aversion towards exercise in all forms. In the last few months, I've started incorporating more activity into my life. Instead of taking public transit to the store, I will walk. (Funnily enough, geocaching has also been a new way I've managed to incorporate more activity into my day.) Or I'll sprint to catch my bus if I'm going to be late. Small things, but things that, over the course of the day, definitely add up to 30 minutes of activity, if not a lot more than that. I never would have imagined that I'd be able to walk a mile without stopping, but that's something I recently did for the first time, and I didn't feel like I was going to die while doing it! So thanks for this reality check that I think a lot of people need. Exercise doesn't have to be miserable or make you feel like you're going to die. It can just be little things that add up and make you move. I think there's a lot wrong with the ways we are taught to exercise in mainstream messages, and I'm glad videos like yours are around to mythbust those ideas. I'm slowly seeing calmer movement incorporated into schools, like yoga and walking, and I'm excited and hopeful for trends like that to catch on.

[@ahamzah12]

I weight train an hour a day for five days a week. I hold the belief that I'm immune to death

[@Perspectologist]

As someone trying to be more fit I really appreciated this video. While I'd like to be in great shape, if I can't quite make that goal at least I want to be reasonably healthy.

[@onefoot7]

Excellent explanation Sir, good job!

[@fitrep]

Last June (2014) I weighed 450lbs (I am 6'4" former wrestler and football player), I was tired, fat, depressed and had HBP. I started walking 45 every day, and moderately changed my diet (no soda, no fast food) after being put on an beta blocker for HBP. By September I had lost nearly 50lbs!, In October I started Crossfit 3 days a week and carried on walking 45min to an Hour every day. Today I weigh 288lbs, and now do crossfit on a daily basis. Never give up, never loose hope. Cheers! Oh and I was pulled off all medication for HBP last January.

[@kevinkunkel2238]

This is a very important video for everyone to watch. There are so many people out there that are complain about being tired, sick, unmotivated, and have hard time doing simple tasks. If they were to watch this video and shoot for what it says, 30 minutes of exercise a day for 5 days a week, they would notice a huge change. I think most of the time people don't have the will power to workout. You hear the excuse of I don't have time in a day. I'm pretty sure the majority of the people could cut at least 30 minutes of television a day and easily hit their mark. This video gives you good options on what is consider enough to be called exercise and how to reach it daily. It also shows you all the benefits that it does for you. Most people think exercise only helps your body image. The video proves that wrong by showing all the benefits exercise does for you. One being that exercise helps people with rheumatoid arthritis. Another being it helps people with diabetes and many other kinds of problems. This is so important and the world needs to get on board with this. There are already some programs to help get people going, especially at a young age. The NFL does the play 60 where it teaches kids to get out and play a day for 60 minutes. If one develops good habits when they are young there is a better chance to continue these habits when they're older. Love this video and I think it sends a strong message to everyone, It is on the viewers now to act on this issue.

[@MichiruEll]

Been walking about an hour per day (to and from work) for about a year. I did it to feel better and because I know how beneficial it is to improve many health metrics. Side effect: Lost 14 pounds (without really changing my diet). So... I don't know... I guess my case is anecdotal, but to me, exercise did make me lose weight. So I'm gonna stick to that, because I've tried too many diets in my life and ended up gaining more weight than I had lost).

[@ryanwalsh5019]

Exercise helps you increase your metabolism, making you burn more calories. Just don't eat complete shit, and run a 5k every time after work and you should lose insane amounts of weight. Walking helps lose weight slightly, but running obliterates mass. Careful though, it also replaces fast twitch muscle with lean muscle fibers if you don't do any lifting. So if that's not what you want I would recommend doing a few push-ups, squats, lunges, crunches, and pull-ups. I personally need to have the lean muscle fibers, since I participate in rowing (crew). Joining a sport like crew is insanely helpful, because your teammates rely on you to be there in order to fill the boat. If you are over 6'0, I'd highly recommend going to your nearest boat house and asking what programs they have, because it pretty much means you are automatically good.

[@Rachel-kr7yd]

Exercise is probably the single most important aspect of our lives, yet most of America can't even take 30 minutes a day to do it. I used to be one of those people who didn't really want to do much. I would sit around on the couch or in bed and watch TV or do homework or whatever else I wanted to do. When I was diagnosed with scoliosis and chondromalacia I knew things had to change. My pain levels were very high, to the point where I was in tears from standing in the grocery store too long. Physical therapy and weightlifting at the gym completely changed my life. I can't speak for chronic illnesses like COPD, but exercise can make such a big difference. My pain levels were greatly decreased just by building strength in my weak areas. Exercise just makes you feel better as a whole. People always think that exercise causes you to be fatigued. However, by exercising more it is proven to reduce fatigue. Exercise is also such a huge preventative measure that everyone can take to stay healthy. It can help prevent strokes, heart attacks, and other diseases like heart disease. In this day and age everyone claims to be too busy, they can't be bothered to find the time to work out. What people don't realize is that even just doing household chores everyday can fulfill the body's need for exercise. Your house needs to be cleaned and maintained anyways, so by doing your chores more often, you can also give yourself some great health benefits. You don't have to vigorously exercise every day, but you can't think that walking to the fridge or the bathroom every few hours is enough. Instead of driving down the street to get a snack, walk there. By making small changes in your lifestyle you can become so much healthier. No one else can do it for you, you have to make your health a higher priority in your life.

[@juliapedrosafurlan1555]

Thank you. This is amazing! Wish it was in portuguese so I could show it to all my friends and clients (I'm a personal trainer)

[@HermannTheGreat]

Great video, what actually covers health that is sustainable and ENOUGH.

[@tolstoyfarm]

Walking to work and trying extreme exercise routines are at the opposite poles - walking to work doesn't give me many of the benefits I get from genuine exercise, such as improvements in mood, increased muscle tone, decreased abdominal fat (yes, exercise definitely does this for me). In my experience small incremental improvements to your favorite exercise is the way to go. For me it is running, which I add a small amount to each week. 30 minutes five times/week on the elliptical machine doesn't work for me because I don't usually stick to it. Exercise is more sustainable when it's an enjoyable hobby where I can track improvements.

[@xmellieex]

Such a cliffhanger! I look forward to next week :)

[@aikisalcantara3593]

Not the most efficient method to weightloss, but definitely the best method for health and wellness.

[@himbocialist]

"about a half hour a day for 30 minutes each" oh good i thought it would be a half hour a day for 60 minutes each!

[@popc5245]

such a weird typo

[@biranfalk-dotan2448]

Exercise IS awesome! And so are you, Health Care Triage...

[@neorich59]

This is so spot on. At the start of the Pandemic, I committed myself to 5000 steps a day (though I often did many more) and stuck with it. Result? My cholesterol levels and blood pressure have dropped down to "normal" levels, with absolutely no change in diet! 😉

[@logiconabstractions6596]

The difference between "what you need " and those "over the top" program/training/exercise regiment is interesting. I do agree that sometimes, this sets the bar way too high, and possibly discourages some people from even trying, because it's far off from where they are at now. That being said, I do think there some kind of an addictive nature to exercise. I for one have my current balance at at least 1 hour of moderate to vigorous exercise per day, on average. Running, yoga or rock climbing (or training for climbing). Of course I sometimes end up doing less, but life just feels better when I can push myself a little more, and it seems the ~1 hour is where that stands. I wouldn't say it's always been like that, though. My experience has been that it came with time and practice.

[@1eurochair225]

The body adapts to any condition as well as sedentary behavior, and to readjust to the active state takes years and hurts. This is where those who succeed are separated from those who fail.

[@Tom-jn9vt]

you mentioned quitting smoking is one of the most important health things one can do.. how bad is smokeless tobacco on health? Is it equivalent to smoking when it comes to health risk? I love the videos you put out. thanks!

[@fearlessgentleman]

youre the best, Dr. Carroll!

[@shariegreen813]

Dr. Carroll: Do you have a list of all the RCTs you're summarizing? Doing research on the subject and would love to know what the studies actually are. Thanks so much for your insight, caring, and education!!!!

[@stephaniecarter3351]

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your body. Whether its moderate exercise many times a week or intense exercise a couple time a week, the benefits outweigh any risk that could be associated with working out as long as you aren't over doing it. One example of the good it can do, which I was shocked about, is that exercise therapy can increase aerobic capacity and muscle strength in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Also, this type of therapy reduces all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality. I commented on another Healthcare Triage video on coffee about how my family has an unbelievable history of heart issues. Most of my relatives who have passed away passed from heart attacks, heart failure or a disintegrating aorta. My parents and I do everything in our power to prevent that from happening to us as our relatives were taken too soon. I never realized how big of an effect exercise had on heart health and I believe between exercise and my parents coffee consumption, they have the potential to be around for a much longer time than their parents were. My mother was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and her symptoms include depression, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, etc. With exercise, some of her symptoms could be lessened but she never does it because of how horrible her pain is all the time. What she doesn't know, is shed most likely feel better and not be in as much pain. Plus, if exercise benefits her the way it should, she could potentially stop taking some of her medications which she hates taking. Making her healthier and happier and in turn, making her family happier for her.

[@luisniebla5517]

What are you implying at 3:40 !? rofl

[@KemaTheAtheist]

Luis Niebla That sitting all day at a computer sucks. I recently started wearing a pedometer for this healthcare plan thing at work (I'm a software engineer). I have trouble getting to even 7000 steps a day (the low goal) unless I go for a 15-30 minute run. People that work in retail and other such jobs average 12-15 thousand a day. That's a huge difference in activity, so if you work at a desk all day, you need to do more than someone who even walks a lot.

[@Rabbitthat]

Make sure to set an alarm every hour, get up, go to the kitchen or bathroom, come back. Being sedentary is harmful, even if when you are not working you train like michael phelps. It is a risk factor unrelated to how much exercise you get otherwise.

[@alextoulan3635]

Will you please please please host an episode on the possible negative effects of over exercise? This is common in marathoners, ultra-marathoners, skateboarders and people who do parkour and cross-fit.

[@wellbodisalone]

Exercise is really beneficial for your overall health. Remember that consistency is the key!

[@katieburton1000]

What does research say about working nights? I'm a night shift nurse and I know how taxing it is on my body. I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to stay healthy with this schedule?

[@supersilverspacesean3372]

Thank you!

[@melkior13]

Thanks for this.

[@FrankieSmileShow]

Isn't there also something about how long moments of inactivity can be harmful by themselves? So if you are always at a desk, its a good idea to have short breaks where you do a little bit of activity?

[@moxiousch]

FrankieSmileShow Yes, apparently just long periods of sitting, even taking into account other variables, will shorten your lifespan. EVEN in otherwise healthy people who exercise. By, like, several years. Which is CRAZY! Look at how much of our lives revolve around sitting down - and then you come home and 'rest' i.e. sit down! A short (5 minute) break every hour, like stretching or walking or just standing is enough to combat that however. I think Aaron's talked about this in a previous video as well.

[@Rabbitthat]

I think this is probably the easiest thing on the planet that we can do to help our health. Watching tv? Watching youtube? On a plane? At work? Playing a video game? In school? Been sitting for more than 40 minutes? Get up and go to the bathroom.. add years to your life! This needs more publicity.. all that bullspit about gluten and nobody knows THIS

[@kingof206]

I like exercising and I try to talk to people I know about the benefits but I guess most people in the world don't really care too much for it

[@anonharingenamn]

Being a mailman is pretty dope, you walk around for hours and stand on your feet for a few as well. Sadly is pays NOTHING and you're basically just moving pieces of paper around.

[@JamesSmith-cm7sg]

Walking round in circles for shite money - no thanks.

[@anotherks7297]

Da Do I'll walk around for shite money...

[@DominicHill]

I play rugby and train almost every day for at least an hour (usually 2) at high intensity. I'd be really interested to know if athletes who train like me (or even more like the pro's) are at risk of health problems as they get older.

[@JPtheAP]

I'm really looking forward to next week's video. I've worked in the weight-loss medical device industry for the past 8 years, and the amount of misinformation out there is troubling. Shaming people as fat because they are too lazy to exercise is both false and damaging. I'm grateful Healthcare Triage is so committed to publishing provable science. Keep up the good work!

[@alyssaemington7983]

I think that this video has a lot of good information that we can take out of it. In today's society so much emphasis is put on working out. It has been pounded in our brains since we were children that we need to get out an exercise. Sometimes, I felt like It was a stressful pressure that I needed to exercise. Especially my first year of college, I felt inadequate and thought I needed to exercise for hours everyday to look the best I could. I wish I would have watched this video then, and realized that a vigorous workout routine like that isn't for everyone and we need to listen to ourselves as individuals because everyone is different. In reality we only need to workout for 150 minutes a week and our health will be so much better. We will be at a lower risk for so many diseases, and even death in the long run. I also wish I would have watched this video to realize that working out isn't really what causes weight loss, it might help, but your diet is the biggest thing. I think that we shouldn't look at exercise as a stressful thing, or something that we have to do, but something that we want to do! It can make us feel so much better!

[@Pyotyrpyotyrpyotyr]

Very good episode

[@jimdandytheboss]

"I just couldn't keep it up." - Aaron Carroll

[@holl8901]

I have always been an active person and can understand why exercising is so important and has many health benefits. However, I feel that is is difficult for people to find the time to get in a quality workout every day. Between school or work people have prior commitments and after a long day someone generally does not want to put in more hard strenuous work. I also feel that in today's society there are many different distractions that are around us that also prevent us from exercising. Most jobs today are desk jobs that involve sitting for up to 8 hours a day which can cause health problems on its own. There are also technological distractions such as phones, computers, tvs, etc. I think that it is important that people decide to take charge of their health and find time to exercise because it is truly a beneficial thing to improve a person's health and lifestyle.

[@thebashar1001]

can you do an episode about bodybuilding cons and pros ? and by the way the show is great

[@Zaete0chan]

What a cliffhanger to end it on!

[@Spathever]

Excellent video! But I think there might be a slight miss. As far as I've read it's either 150min moderate or 75min high load activity PLUS 2 times strength training, not 150min OR 75min and strength training.

[@ryanwalsh5019]

So what if I do 6 hours of intense exceed ice and 6 hours of moderate exercise each week (rowing/crew)? Am I getting increased benefits, or is it more of an exponential model where you get less benefits as you approach the extremes?

[@meghanvelicer3261]

I'm a preschool teacher! I've been trying to do a little bit of research on exercise and the growing brain. I truly do feel that the children in my class retain information and function better when we have an exercise session for 15 minutes every morning. Are there any good studies on this? It would be really cool if you did and episode on that!

[@SeudXe]

Well exercise tends to increase motivation so this could be it. :) sorry for the 5 months late comment. I don't even think you will reply. xD

[@writingmoribundinstitute640]

Couldst you do a video on the MCAT or GMCAT.????

[@russoft]

strength training: starting strength or strong lifts. Barbell exercises.

[@latelaughlove]

My grandmother has M.S. but exercise is really difficult for her because she needs a cane to walk and sometimes has to use a chair. She doesn't have a lot of arm strength and her hands aren't always reliable in how well they can hold onto objects. What kind of exercise can she do to help her while she has these limitations? Hopefully exercise would help reduce some of these, but how should she get started in the first place?

[@Tesserex]

2:56 "Half an hour a day for 30 minutes each"?

[@TeaBurn]

Tesserex Yeah, a bit redundant there.

[@matty9460]

Well maybe it has to be concurrent so 3x 10 minutes isn't any good

[@robby2867]

The elliptical can be stressful on the lower back and should really be done in moderation, most effective exercises have a drawback so you should always be changing your workout routine

[@jenniferwinchell1631]

I agree 100% with this video because I believe that exercise is one of the most important ways to take care of your body. Without exercise, there would be no way for people to stay healthy and physically fit. Thirty minutes a day, five times a week is all you really need and it is so easy to accomplish that. I feel like most people don't think they have enough time to complete thirty minute of exercise a day due to either being at work all day or going to school all day. I also agree that it really isn't that hard to get thirty minutes of cardio or weight training a day.

[@daydodog]

what effect does distribution have? IE 30 minutes per day 5 days a week vs 150 minutes once per week

[@bharanivignesh5894]

From where do you learn this?

[@user-pm7ry7hh4s]

Please make a video on the benefits of sedentary lifestyle

[@AlexanderPavel]

I would want a treadmill desk but I don't have the money nor the room (college dorms are quite small). At least there are plenty of gyms at my University so I can stay fit.

[@jsebastiantello]

When I do long somewhat intense workouts (e.g. ride my bike for 100 miles at a strong pace or for 25 miles really fast), the rest of the day and specially during the night, I feel like my body temperature is high. I sweat, even if the room is cold. I have researched this online a bit, and have found other people reporting this too. However, I have not found any explanation, particularly from a souse that seems trustworthy. Is this normal? Am I overexercising too much?

[@lukasg6452]

Does it need to be just moderate intensity? I mean what if 10mph or ~14km/h is just way to slow for me. (I guess I'm one of those extremist that are afraid they're not doing enough...)

[@codediporpal]

I'm wondering about the benefits of High Intensity Training (short burst of maximum exertion). I find that these do wonders for my mood and mental clarity for hours afterward and help me sleep better. I've only heard mixed things about research though.

[@GameTesterBootCamp]

So, would I see benefit if I did all of the recommended exercise in two days a week instead of splitting it up across five days?

[@coen226]

Try Athlean-X Jeff Cavalier has a YT channel discussing his program and is a Physical Therapist. His workouts are on average 30-45 mins

[@superfisto]

Can you talk about the difference between health and fitness? For example, we know that many of the TdF riders in the Armstrong era were very, very fit but not at all healthy.

[@jamesdonovan3251]

By putting unbelievable pressure on the aerobic and anaerobic system, your body lowers your immune system to cope with the physical 'damage'. But also, they aren't ill that often. It's just that even a minor cold can be impossible to combat when racing at 44kmh for 170km over 8 thousand feet everyday. Just look at Tejay Van Gardaren..

[@xelaxander]

Jamie Donovan Yap. from my personal experience, even bike rides of 100km@30km/h can really worsen your immune system for a couple hours. But it gets better over time.

[@starb9031]

I would completely agree with the importance of exercise in our daily lives. I am a competitive swimmer, which means I exercise about three hours a day between the workouts in the pool and the strength training workouts. I would have to say that this is overkill for the sake of staying healthy. However, I have a younger sister with a form of rheumatoid arthritis, and a mother with a family history of heart disease. My sister has rough patches where she cannot even walk. Exercise helps her condition significantly, even in the smallest quantity. Taking a walk or riding a bike makes my sister better able to walk and participate in everyday life. My mother makes it a goal of taking an hour walk every night with our neighbor. In the long run, this will do wonders for her health problems and hopefully even prevent or prolong a heart attack. I think exercise is important for our health and the prevention of diseases.

[@SuperSprigs]

Also a big P90x3 fan. I went thru them 3x and agree they are great for rapid weight loss due to high intensity for 6 days a week. Cant complain by how I look now, 50# lighter! Stay fit and DFTBA

[@prussianhill]

I know I'm a little slow on the draw with this comment... but I am a leukemia survivor who strongly advocates exercising during chemotherapy, based on my own personal experiences. Is there a citation to the study mentioned in the video that claims that exercise can improve fatigue in chemotherapy patients?

[@paigebrownlie4187]

This video brings up some very good points about exercise, mainly that most people do not get enough exercise because it seems so unreachable. However, as the video states, this is not actually the case. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise, five days a week, is actually pretty reasonable. If a person were to work Monday through Friday, it would mean that they work five days. If they have an hour lunch break, a person could easily spend half of that doing some brisk walking. If a person were to miss a day of walking during their lunch break, they could easily catch up on Saturday or Sunday by doing household chores, as mentioned in the video. I do not understand why so many people believe that exercise is hard to do, especially if it is only thirty minutes needed a day, as opposed to the normally stated sixty. Even for college students, thirty minutes a day of brisk walking, or moderate biking, can be attainable just by walking from one class to another. Most colleges would have their classes spread out so the students would have time to get from one class to another class in a set amount of time (at my college this amount of time is ten minutes, no matter what two points they are, any two classrooms can be traveled between in ten minutes or less). It would be incredibly easy for college students to briskly walk from one class to another, or to take their bike, instead of driving. Of course, college students in other colleges (and mine too) could be walking or biking instead of taking their car to classes, I don’t honestly know. But I do agree with this video’s statement that the thirty minutes a day for five days a week, for a total of one hundred and fifty minutes per week, is a lore more achievable than one initially thinks. Just incorporating exercise into everyday actions can be the starting factor to a whole lot healthier of a life.

[@dasgutenberg6]

let's not forget what you fuel yourself with is extremely important... crap in, crap out. Eat more plants!

[@Rulerofwax24]

I think exercise is great and it has done great things for me, but you did hint at the point I want to make right now. Exercise for me leads to eating afterwards more than I need. Unfortunately, this summer I have been less active than I have been in the past, but that means that I've not had to eat as much. From that, I have dropped a lot of weight (close to 15 pounds) rather unintentionally. I was, and continue to be overweight, but I don't know at what point the benefit of exercise will outweigh the loss of weight.

[@Pierrot110194]

16 Bit Images Eat healthier and smarter. Don't just shove a snickers in your face when you're starting to feel hungry and don't ever eat any kind of fast food. Make a weeks plan of meals you plan on having for lunch and dinner. Try to avoid most carbs, a bit of rice or potatoes at either lunch or dinner is fine. Ditch anything that isn't water as far as drinks go. (These are only some guidelines) There are many, many ways - and many great books for that matter - that will help you lose weight even though you're still not really changing the amount of what you eat. The right kind of exercise will cause you to lose weight, as long as you're eating the right things. Think of it this way: Don't exercise, have the same caloric demand and diet for the rest of your life OR raise your body's caloric demand through exercise and try to eat things that your body can use more efficiently.

[@greghuffman3061]

3:25 where was that shot? It looks kinda like Garden of the Gods.

[@chris7toronto]

For the 30 minutes of walking briskly, like you do to and from work, what would be the best way to measure what I am achieving? Would a pedometer work?

[@PogieJoe]

Hm...I really need to take this up. Hopefully now that I'm going back to school, it will be easier to try it as opposed to sitting on my butt at work all day. :/

[@bkhex]

do a video on steroids? is it really that bad for you? just watched the documentary bigger faster stronger

[@andregrahlai]

Hector Rey That would be amazing!

[@userMikeforsure1997]

+Hector Rey its good. steroids are fine just as long as you dont abuse it.

[@mykhalable]

I don't really think he could do a video on the subject due to there not being many if any studies on the fact.

[@ManLikeAce]

Hector Rey you body makes natural steriods. Get sunlight

[@A_A828]

Ehhh, I'd avoid steroids. It can have serious long-term consequences. You don't want to permanently fuck up your natural hormone balance. It's an unknown area, you'll essentially be a human guinea pig. If you want to be a bodybuilder, do it the natural way I'd say.

[@AdobadoFantastico]

1:03 it would be nice to get citations or at least the spelling of terms thrown around in small asides. "Ankle-osing-spondelitus"?? I don't even know where to begin trying to figure out what the meaning of those sounds you made were. I know this is a video from a while back, but I have had occasional moments like this with some of the more recent videos, as well.

[@xylaardhiafiorina6844]

What a cliffhanger at the end! :p

[@kateparker8546]

I have a question! I have found that yoga is pretty much the only form of exercise that I enjoy, and therefore, it's the one that I can be regularly relied upon to do. It's conventional wisdom that yoga does not benefit your cardiovascular health (although it does help with everything else) - so it should be supplemented with some kind of cardio exercise. But I recently read a few articles that seem to say otherwise, and as I attend yoga 3-4 times a week (including several styles - not just stretching), I'm wondering if I'm alright without making myself miserable on a treadmill? What's your opinion on yoga as a complete source of fitness?

[@amandaa1755]

Kate Parker Hi Kate! I'm an exercise physiologist and physical therapist, so I might be able to help answer your question. To have cardiovascular benefit you need 30 minutes of exercise within your target heart rate range. It comes down to your resting heart rate and age predicted heart rate max while working within a certain intensity using a formula: Target training HR = resting HR + (0.6 [maximum HR -resting HR] To get resting heart rate, sit for 5 minutes and take a 30 second pulse, multiply by two. To get max HR take 220-your age Plug those results into the equation, whatever the final number is, is the value your HR needs to be for 30 minutes to have cardiovascular benefit. You can track that with a heart rate monitor (usually a watch form) or the hard way (taking pulse every so often).

[@kateparker8546]

Thanks for letting me know! So maybe I should give one of those FitBits a try and just see what my heart rate does during yoga. I bet it's worked pretty well in aerial yoga!

[@amandaa1755]

Yea!! I'm interested now, let me know the result!!

[@tommycline1864]

I am always getting told that I drink to many energy drinks. Are they really that bad for me?

[@deadlybuzz]

Is there any evidence that doing the 150min in one go per week is better or worse than doing 30min a day? I have taken to going on hikes during the weekend for 2-4h and I really enjoy them much more than trying to cram 30min of exercise into my busy weekdays.

[@ems7623]

That's quite a bit of time! But I totally get how that could work in the form of a hike. There's probably so many variables behind your question that you probably won't get a clear answer, to be honest. I'm guessing that the metabolic effect of doing cardiovascular exercise once a week versus several times a week might be different. But lets see if anyone else has actual data to provide you. (Oh, it's been five years already without a reply. Maybe not!)

[@montumeroe9593]

He's right I am an old guy I have been practicing Chinese Kung Fu since I was fifteen and believe me one hour a day of vigorous training it has got me through some heavy stuff.

[@huzash6977]

So what happens if you smoke and exercise regularly?

[@xelaxander]

30min 5x per week? My ultimate recommendation is biking to work. Healty, cheap, very little time lost (especially in urban areas), environmentally friendly. Also folding bikes can be taken onto most public transport, just in case of rain or commute too far.

[@XiaosChannel]

Great, so I'm doing enough exercise already! Now I can tell my parents they don't have to worry.

[@GuyWithAnAmazingHat]

We Singaporeans have compulsory national service for men, which comes with an annual military fitness test, forcing us to keep ourselves in shape. Sure this results in us having a pretty decent overall fitness, but also makes us really hate exercise. I find no such thing as endorphins kicking in and feeling euphoric, feeling relaxed and less stressed or anything. All I feel after my workouts and runs is that I just finished a chore and feel like crap.

[@coolman6666]

First link doesn't work.

[@roboss6769]

does working out cancel out vaping?

[@kieranemcgarry]

I'm working on exercise anyway because I want to feel better (re: the depression studies), but my doctor told me to do moderate activity for 60min/day MINIMUM to lose weight - no other suggestion! *facepalm* I'm glad I have a doctor but there are some things not all GPs may be on the ball with.

[@Person-q8n]

I've been a fan since your first Obamacare video! I love this channel and have enjoyed watching the steady improvements in your productions. I'll throw out a couple ideas on issues I would like to see talked about. tl;dr they are the health consequences of venting, self-tracking and hypochondria. and health issue privacy and transparency among family or friends. What is a 'healthy' level for each of these activities? When do they becoming damaging or stress inducing? Someone close to me battles with depression everyday. I recently said to this person something along the lines of, "don't feel bad if you ever need to just vent to me." I'm constantly talking through my personal struggles with friends and family, while not trying to offload my issues on them or be too much of a burden, because I find it to be therapeutic. It's even better than journaling because you're exposed to another perspective, and maybe that can help me look at the issue more objectively. My friend who struggles with depression then sent me a recent news article which discussed a study that found venting to not be beneficial to health. I found the article to be mostly ridiculous because the opening anecdote referenced how "e-venting" or email venting can be fed up the ladder to your boss and get you fired. But the article also tried to explain why venting is generally bad and you should just keep your issues to yourself, or have a "relaxing cocktail" to unwind before venting to your spouse. The article did not at all talk about the natural benefits of communication in general, and how it's important to have open communication among friends and families with things that bother you. I don't go to therapy, I just have good relationships with friends and constantly try to cope with issues and stress via empowering those relationships. I would love to see an episode which talks about these issues using real data. My other topics are along similar lines but have to do with the pros and cons of too much health tracking, and also transparency of your health issues among friends or familiar. My own experience and intuition tells me exercise tracking is never bad, perhaps Googling health issues has a negative consequence somewhere if you're doing it too often, and it's basically never bad for people close to you to know about any health issue.

[@just_a_duck3371]

Please add eng subtitles.

[@deppwaswho]

The definition of exercise that he talks about seems to have a large bias towards cardiovascular exercise. Does that imply those who ONLY strength train very often are not meeting the requirements?

[@Gruncival]

***** He doesn't talk in particular about cardio versus strength training; I think he uses walking/running in most of his examples because that's what more people conceive when they think about exercising, and because people already walk in their daily lives without needing to set aside time for it.

[@beccasharp6635]

This topic is something that I could talk about for days. It amazes me that so many people don’t workout ever and they have no idea what they are missing. It not only reduces all causes of death by 27% like it said in the video, but it makes you feel good! The release of endorphins while working out is enough for me to keep doing it, after a good work out it’s just like a whole new perspective. In my routine, working out in the morning really wakes me up and keeps me going through the day, and when I take a day off, it’s completely noticeable how much it actually affects your body. The weekly recommended amount is 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week, which is really not hard to do at all, heck I get that in walking to class and around campus. People think that you have to go on these crazy binge exercise routines like he said in the video P90X and the Insanity videos, while those might work for the allotted time, they aren’t a reasonable lifestyle to keep up because the videos are so vigorous and time consuming. I can speak to this personally because I tried to do the P90X for the 90 days and failed because I just didn’t have the time or effort to put towards that. A much more effective workout plan for myself is just a normal 30 or 40 minute workout each morning to jump start my day and usually taking a day off on the weekends. I just don’t see why someone wouldn’t work out when the video explains obvious reasons and research on why it’s so good for you. It really can put you in such a better mood and allow you to be more productive in your daily life.