The First 20 Minutes, Gretchen Reynolds
The First 20 Minutes, Gretchen Reynolds
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The First 20 Minutes
Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer

Author: Gretchen Reynolds

Narrator: Karen Saltus

Unabridged: 9 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Ascent Audio

Published: 05/22/2012


Synopsis

Every Wednesday, Gretchen Reynolds singlehandedly influences how millions of Americans work out. In her Phys Ed column for The New York Times, she debunks myths, spurs conversation, and creates arguments among her readers by questioning widely held beliefs about exercise.
Expanding upon her popular columns, Reynolds tackles the questions we all have and (sometimes) ask about exercise. Consulting experts in physiology, biology, psychology, neurology, and sports, she uncovers how often we should exercise, how long workouts should be, how to avoid injury, and how to find the right form, routine and equipment for our goals.

She also reveals some surprising answers, like:

* 20 minutes of cardio at a time is enough to obtain maximum health benefits. (And in some cases, just six minutes is all you need.)
* Stretching before a workout is counterproductive. (It's better to just start easy, i.e., walk before you run.)
* Core strength is nice but not necessary. (A six-pack looks great but actually has little bearing on performance.)
* Walking improves your memory; housecleaning improves your mood. (The brain is like a muscle,; it likes to exercise.)
* Chocolate milk is better than Gatorade for recovery. (Providing the best sports nutrition is often the simplest.)

Drawing on scientific expertise as well as her own athletic experiences, Gretchen Reynolds will help you find the right workout for your body, age, fitness and goals. Whether your desire is to be fit for the rest of your life, to look great in a smaller dress size or to run your third marathon in Boston, The First 20 Minutes will make your workouts work for you.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Gayle on June 17, 2012

I heard Gretchen Reynolds on NPR and bought the book immediately. As a sixty-four year old woman who ran a marathon at fifty and cycled 334 miles in three days at fifty-five, this book has just been a wealth if new scientific insights on fitness and health. I really appreciate that while many of the......more

Goodreads review by David on January 02, 2015

This is a very entertaining and informative book about the benefits of exercise. Gretchen Reynolds explores how much, and what types of exercise are really useful for improving one's health and well-being. The more you exercise (up to a point), the better one's fitness. However, there is a law of di......more

Goodreads review by Kali on February 09, 2013

this book was filled with bad jokes and extended descriptions of recent exercise studies that would end with "what does this mean for you? probably nothing." awesome. awkwardly written, full of unnecessary information, and totally unclear who the target audience was -- if this was a book for beginne......more

Goodreads review by Perci on July 15, 2013

"Inactivity is the greatest public health threat of this century. And it is almost completely preventable." Picked up and finished this book this morning. Read it mostly while standing or pacing. It's the best non-fiction I've read in years, because it repeatedly shows me that I'm doing it wrong, tha......more

Goodreads review by Anna on July 25, 2012

I loved this! For one thing, Gretchen Reynolds is quite funny and down to earth. She amuses me going on about how slow a runner she is (which I don't really believe but I appreciate the self-deprecating tone). There were plenty of things I already knew (stretching before a work out is pointless) but......more