The economics of intense exercise
David O Meltzer1, Anupam B Jena
1University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. dmeltzer@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Journal of Health Economics
|April 8, 2010
Summary
Higher income is linked to more intense exercise, suggesting people increase workout intensity to save time. This finding highlights the importance of time costs in exercise behavior and intervention design.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Economics
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Low exercise levels in the US are often attributed to time constraints.
- The economic implications of exercise time costs, particularly exercise intensity, remain understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model exercise behavior from an economic perspective, focusing on the relationship between exercise intensity and time costs.
- To investigate the association between income and exercise intensity as a proxy for time costs.
Main Methods:
- Developed a simple economic model of exercise behavior.
- Empirically analyzed the relationship between income and exercise intensity.
Main Results:
- Model predicts increased exercise intensity with higher wages, controlling for other factors.
- Empirical data show a positive association between income and exercise intensity.
- This association supports the hypothesis that individuals increase intensity to reduce exercise time costs.
Conclusions:
- Time costs are a significant factor influencing exercise patterns.
- Exercise intensity is a key variable that can modify the time costs of physical activity.
- Interventions promoting exercise should consider factors affecting time costs, such as intensity.
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