Be Fit, Live Long

An American Medical Journal has recently published results on 6,000 middle aged men, stating that those who exercise will live longer, even if they are smokers or overweight.

A team at Stanford University monitored the men while they ran on a treadmill and found that as their fitness increased, so did their life spans. Dr. Ken Copper, a fitness expert said, 'You are better off being fat and fit than skinny and sedentary or better off smoking a pack a day and exercising regularly than being a non-smoker and being sedentary.', which may come as a surprise for all those smokers out there who feel there is no point exercising if their lungs are being ruined anyway.

The study also found that just a walk a day can help and you don't have to over exert yourself to stay in shape. Mike Stroud, the author of Survival of the Fittest says that we can put this down to evolution. He says, 'We are meant to be active. Our whole biology is designed for activity.' It seems that in the age of cars and public transport we are less likely to incorporate movement into our live styles. Even just taking the dog for a walk or cleaning the house from top to bottom can help us to live a long and healthy life.

Friday, 24 May 2002