Science is clear: exercise doesn't help that much for losing weight. However, it does help with a staggering variety of other conditions. Whether it's osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, heart health, cholesterol levels, depression, chronic fatigue, or even the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, quality science has demonstrated that exercise helps.
And as Aaron Carroll explains below, the amount of exercise in these studies is pretty moderate. A half hour of simple brisk walking, done five times per week, gets you most of the way there. No need to kill yourself with CrossFit or Navy SEAL routines to stay healthy. Ryan Cooper
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Velvet Sundown: viral band that doesn't actually existIn the Spotlight These AI-generated rock hits are brought to listeners by… no one
-
Retro tomatoes: a species of the plant is evolving backwardUnder the radar Environmental factors may play a role
-
Snow what? 6 charming ski towns to visit during peak summerThe Week Recommends No powder, no problem
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, changeSpeed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panelspeed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kidsSpeed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sickspeed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last yearspeed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive orderspeed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measlesSpeed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study findsSpeed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
