The First 20 Minutes

Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer

By: Gretchen Reynolds

Narrated by: Karen Saltus

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2012 Gretchen Reynolds (P)2012 Gildan Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"[This audiobook] delivers answers to many perennial training questions [and] does a great job of myth-busting some well-established beliefs. It's a great guide for the mindful athlete who wants to gain all the benefits of physical training while minimizing downtime from injury or over-training." (Danny Dreyer, Founder of Chi Running and co-author of Chi Running, Chi Walking, and Chi Marathon)

"There has never been a better time in history to grow stronger, faster, and smarter; there has never been a more helpful book than Gretchen Reynolds's The First 20 Minutes. Smart, clear, and beautifully useful, this is the new fitness Bible for the modern age." (Dan Coyle, author of The Talent Code and Lance Armstrong's War)

" The First 20 Minutes is packed with interesting tips and insights. Pickle juice for cramps, who would have ever thought! Gretchen Reynolds once again delivers a winner." (Dean Karnazes, uber athlete and New York Times best-selling author of UltraMarathon Man)

Great book, horrible narrator

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend that friends read this book rather than try to live through this narration of it.

What did you like best about this story?

Filled with great, up-to-date information

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator detracted from the book in every possible way. At times she sounds like a computer-generated voice. She gets overly-perky at other times. The sentences are jerky, with pauses coming at odd times. It is difficult to follow the meaning of the sentences sometimes. I could only listen for brief intervals.

Any additional comments?

I was greatly looking forward to listening to this book, having heard the author on Fresh Air. I had read the first chapter of the book and I truly wish that I had ordered the book, rather than the audiobook. Let this be a lesson to me. From now on, I will listen to the sample before ordering. The narrator totally ruined this book for me. I've never written a review here before, but I feel so strongly about this poor choice of a narrator and I don't want anyone else to waste their money on it. Why couldn't they have let the author read her own book? She sounded great on Fresh Air.

good by technical

loved the narrator, lots of technical biological terms I'm not into but I was able to still enjoy the book. most of all, for a non-exercizer, it gave good, logical thought provoking ideas of why I should get off my duff and ....move it or lose it.

Succinct and up-to-date!

A very thorough overview of some of the latest research on activity and nutrition. A must read for everyone looking to better their health!

A sleeper

Really a top well researched book! I picked it up as a side thought. The title kind of short changes the value presented in this book. A majority of this book are things I did not know. Plenty of myths dispelled, and exercise habits tweaked. Thank you for taking the time to write this book!

Great information

Loved the book and the information -- it was hard to get past the narrator, but I'm glad I did. Her annoying interpretations of the different researchers got old, but worth trying to ignore in order to hear the info in the book. Lots of great takeaways for improving health as we age.

good information

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

yes, it is full of reasonable information that reinforces the notion of living healthy.

Would you be willing to try another book from Gretchen Reynolds? Why or why not?

sure

What aspect of Karen Saltus’s performance would you have changed?

the performance was fine

Was The First 20 Minutes worth the listening time?

yes

Best fitness book

As a Fitness professional, this is the best book I’ve ever read about Fitness from a scientific standpoint.

Narrator made this book impossible to listen to

Would you try another book from Gretchen Reynolds and/or Karen Saltus?

Maybe Ms. Reynolds, but definitely not Ms. Saltus

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I can't really judge the content, because the narration was unbearable

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She sounds detatched, overly cheerful, and condescending all at once. From the way she reads, including a slow pace and strange emphasis, I get the impression she doesn't fully understand what she is reading, and/or assumes the listener will not. Ugh!

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment that such a poor narrator was chosen.

Any additional comments?

If this title interests you, get it in print.

No information really given.

I kept waiting to get to the point of the book but it was really just a bunch of I" bet you think..., well recent studies say ....but noone can really say for sure." Frustrating, basically the whole book is summed up by if it works for you do it if not try something else save the 9 hours of your life.

Says Nothing

I will not remember this book. It summarizes other people's studies and draws no conclusions. It reads like a college term paper. Terrible for audio