Thinking about exercise can make you live longer, according to a study

Joyous news for those who love gym chic, but don't actually want to sweat even a drop.

A study by researchers at Stanford University, and published by the American Psychological Association found that people who considered themselves to be less active than others, had a higher risk of mortality.

It suggests that comparing yourself to gym bunnies and finding yourself to be lacking, is bad for your health.

The meta-analysis looked at data from 60,000 people who had participated in two large health surveys.

In what sounds like a horrible curse, the mental stress of feeling like you're not working out enough can have adverse health effects.

The bad effects of this negative thinking occurred regardless of BMI or health status.

Equally, earlier studies cited in the paper, suggested that an individual's perception about their level of physical activity can be influenced positively.

Making a person aware of the amount of physical exercise in which they already engage, results in significant physiological improvements such as reductions in weight, body fat, and blood pressure.

Adopting a more positive, less self critical attitude has both physical and mental health benefits.

HT Insider

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