An Economics Comment on Fitness
When it comes to fitness, we each have a monopoly over ourselves. That is, we control the decisions we make that affect our fitness. There may be certain externalities imposed by others, like someone taking 45 minutes in the squat rack, but ultimately we have the power to determine our level of production.
Every little bit of effort you have to expend in exercise is a cost. Therefore, the act of exercise has a cost function. The first derivative with respect to this function is the marginal cost of additional exercise (production).
Additionally, exercise has benefits, up to a point. These benefits are the revenue of fitness: more strength, endurance, etc., and can also be summarized in a benefit function.
As a monopoly, the goal is to produce exercise at the level where the marginal cost of exercise equals the marginal benefit of exercise. Most people do not do that. They fall into two categories. People who do very little if anything at all, and people who do way too much.
Don’t be those people. Do as much as necessary to reach your goals, and no more. And don’t do bicep curls unless you are willing to admit that your only goal is vanity. Vanity is fine, just admit it.
