Chill Out and Lie In For a Longer Life

Can't bring yourself to go to the gym? Feel tired just watching last month's London Marathon? Always the last one in to work? Congratulations, you might just live longer than your more active counterparts.

Professor Peter Axt of Germany believes that laying around and doing nothing may be better for you than forcing yourself to exercise and getting up early in the morning increases your stress levels throughout the day.

Professor Axt's book On the Joy of Laziness stresses the benefits of taking it easy and claims middle-aged people who exert themselves too much may be using up energy they need for other purposes. Whilst professor Axt is in favour of moderate exercise such as walking, he claims that people who run long distances well in to their 50's are at increased risk of memory loss and premature senility.

Health authorities recommend an average of 20 minutes of moderate exercise, three times a week, but according to Jeanette Hobart of the Keep Fit Association "If you've got a job where you do a lot of physical activity during the week, maybe you should just chill out at the weekend".

Friday, 4 May 2001