You need surprisingly little exercise to get its huge health benefits
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
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
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.
