Couch Potatoes Fine With Moderate Exercise

• Saturday August 26, 2006 in: Diet and Exercise Tag(s):

  I am a certified couch potato. At least that's what this fun couch potato test tells me. Out of a possible 100, I scored a 75, a high score by the website's standards. My score, the site tells me, indicates that I've got a serious case of "couch-potato-itis", that my idea of heaven is a comfy couch + giant screen TV + remote control + big bag of munchies.

  Now that may be a bit too much. However, I do admit that lately, I spend more time in front of my not-so giant screen TV than I need to. With really interesting shows such as Lost and Desperate Housewives, along with guilty pleasures like Smallville and American Idol, can you really blame anyone for parking their butts on their worn-out (but comfy) couches for a longer period of time than usual?

  There's no harm in being a couch potato per se. However, what couch potatoes all over the world should realize is that by spending a lot of time staring at our idiot boxes, we are missing out big-time on a number of things. Going out with friends, checking out the dating scene, and most importantly, exercising often take a backseat to finding out what's with the mysterious island that Jack and the rest of the Lost castaways are marooned in.

  The lack, or absence, of an exercise routine is what's bothering me the most. With the physical inactivity that comes with being a couch potato, our risk of eventually suffering from heart ailments, diabetes and obesity are much higher.

  Fortunately for us couch potatoes, a new study indicates that moderate exercise reverses couch-potato effects. The study also concludes that, contrary to popular belief, people can get the benefit of exercise without having to do a high-intensity workout.

  This is good news for us couch potatoes, but we shouldn't be too complacent about it. This study's findings notwithstanding, I still believe regular exercise=better health. I do miss playing basketball, jogging in the park and doing laps in a pool. And I'm going to do something about it. It's NBA Finals time on ESPN, right?