Overview of It's Been a Minute — "Exercise is more important than ever"
This episode of NPR’s It's Been a Minute (host Brittany Luce) explores why more Americans are exercising now than in recent years, how fitness became a central cultural touchpoint, and how exercise intersects with health care, capitalism, social signaling, and politics. Guests Jonquil Hill (Vox Explain It To Me) and Shelley McKenzie (author of Getting Physical: The Rise of Fitness Culture in America) trace the rise in activity, demographic shifts, historical context, and contemporary political uses of fitness.
Key takeaways
- Exercise participation is at an all-time high in recent SFIA data: 80% of Americans did at least one sport/physical activity in 2024; 55% now qualify as "core" participants.
- Drivers of the trend: pandemic-era body-awareness, desire for control in uncertain times, preventive health (and high U.S. healthcare costs), social-media fitness influencers, new drugs (GLP-1s) paired with exercise advice, and status signaling (Pilates/Lululemon as lifestyle markers).
- Young people are exercising more (fewer responsibilities, cheaper than nightlife, cultural norms) and older women are increasing activity (lifting to prevent osteoporosis; gyms targeting seniors as a market).
- Fitness in politics emphasizes appearance and anti-fat rhetoric (examples: Pete Hegseth’s “no fat generals” comment; presidential fitness test reinstatements), often conflating visual cues with function and military readiness.
- Historic views shifted: earlier 20th-century medical opinion sometimes discouraged exercise (heartbeat myth), later overturned by research and cultural change (jogging, weightlifting adoption).
- Fitness’s definition keeps expanding (cardio, strength, balance, flexibility, coordination) and is entangled with capitalism — fitness is both health practice and a market.
Topics discussed
Why more people are exercising
- Peak optimization era: self-improvement as a response to economic/ social instability.
- Pandemic: amplified interest in bodily health and fragility.
- Healthcare incentives: high costs and high deductibles push people toward preventive measures they can control.
- GLP‑1 medications often come with exercise and high-protein guidance.
- Social media and influencers popularize boutique fitness (Pilates, cycling, strength training).
Demographics and trends
- Younger adults: more likely to be active; fitness substitutes for bar culture; lowest alcohol consumption among age groups.
- Older adults (women 65+): notable increases in time spent on exercise — gyms creating programs for daytime/older clientele.
- Fitness as status: clothing, classes, and studio access signal aspirational lifestyles.
Historical context
- Mid-20th-century skepticism about exercise (some physicians discouraged it); jogging and fitness movements gained traction later as research linked activity with heart health.
- Gender history: women’s exclusion from events like the Boston Marathon (first unofficial woman ran 1967; women officially allowed by 1972).
Politics, appearance, and power
- Fitness used to signal national vigor and military readiness; contemporary rhetoric often centers on aesthetics and anti-fat messaging.
- Examples of policy and rhetoric: presidential fitness tests for children, “Make America Healthy Again” framing, military grooming rules tied to racialized conditions (pseudofolliculitis barbae).
- The emphasis on musculature ties into masculinity, muscle dysmorphia, and the male gaze — fitness politics can be about intimidation and appearances rather than function.
Notable quotes and insights
- “Exercise is one of the few things within our control” — explains why people invest in fitness amid broader uncertainty.
- “People are exercising for the lives they want” — fitness as aspirational lifestyle signaling.
- Historical quip: “They used to think you had a certain amount of heartbeats... why waste your heartbeats on running?” — illustrates past medical misconceptions.
- Pete Hegseth: “There would be no fat generals” — used as example of anti-fat rhetoric in a political/military context.
- Fitness is multifaceted; its scientific definition has expanded to include cardiovascular health, strength, balance, flexibility, coordination — not just appearance.
Practical recommendations / action items (from discussion)
- Focus on preventive strength training (especially for women approaching menopause) to reduce osteoporosis risk.
- Define fitness personally: prioritize movement that improves function and mental health rather than chasing purely aesthetic goals.
- Be critical of fitness messaging tied to politics or commerce; recognize how capitalism and social media shape what “fitness” looks like.
- If engaging with fitness trends or medications (e.g., GLP‑1s), follow professional guidance that includes balanced nutrition and appropriate exercise.
Credits and production notes
- Host: Brittany Luce
- Guests: Jonquil Hill (Vox Explain It To Me) and Shelley McKenzie (author, Getting Physical)
- Produced by Liam McBain; edited by Nina Potok; fact-checking by Susie Cummings; supervising producer Barton Girdwood; executive producer Verilynn Williams; VP of programming Yolanda Sanguini.
Bottom line
More Americans are exercising for a mix of personal, economic, medical, and cultural reasons. The episode urges listeners to recognize the complexity behind the fitness boom — it’s part health strategy, part status signaling, part industry — and to orient fitness around function and wellbeing rather than only appearance or political narratives.