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Episode details

Radio 4,20 Jan 2026,28 mins

How much exercise should you do?

What's Up Docs?

Available for over a year

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand explore the role and impact of exercise on our bodies and mood. Is going to the gym three times a week the best way of keeping fit? Or should you spread out your activity in shorter bursts throughout the day? They also discover which one of the brothers is ‘an active couch potato’ and why you can’t out run a bad diet. Joining them to discuss this is Dr Jo Blodgett, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health at University College London. She’s a life-course epidemiologist whose work focuses on how movement across the whole 24-hour day shapes population health. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Dr Jo Blodgett Researcher: Samara Linton Producer: Faye Lyons White Social Media Producer: Leon Gower Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby At the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

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