A.fewer free radicals may slow down one’s metabolism.B.……
TEXT B
It is the news that all
sloths have been waiting for. Scientists in Germany have found that too much
exercise is bad for you and that doing less could lengthen your life.
In a new book called The Joy of Laziness: How to Slow Down and Live
Longer, Dr. Peter Axt, retired professor of health science at Fulda University
near Frankfurt, and his daughter, Dr. Michaela AxtGadermann, a GP, say that
everybody has a limited amount of "life energy" and that the speed with which it
is consumed determines their life span.
They argue that high
energy activities, such as pounding the treadmill at the gym, accelerates the
aging process and makes the body more susceptible to illness. "A more relaxed
way of life is important for your health," said Dr. Axt-Gadermann. "If you lead
a stressful life and exercise excessively, your body produces hormones which
lead to high blood pressure and can damage your heart and arteries."
Dr. Axt-Gadermann said that one key difference between the lazy and those
who exercise was that the more active body produces more "free
radicals"--unstable oxygen molecules that are believed to speed the aging
process. She added: "Laziness is also important for a healthy immune system
because special immune-cells are stronger in times of relaxation than stress.
During relaxation or ’down time’, your metabolism is less active, which means
the body produces fewer free radicals."
"If you do a lot of
sport or are permanently stressed, then your body will produce more free
radicals and that is one reason why your life could be shortened." Dr.
Axt-Gadermann and her father also say that laughing is healthier than running.
"When you laugh, your body produces the hormone serotonin which makes you feel
happy and relaxed," said Dr. Axt-Gadermann. "The heartbeat races and blood
pressure is raised for a short while, without activating your metabolism and
producing the free radicals which spend your life energy. Basically, laughing is
a good training session without the negative side-effects."
To
illustrate the theory that laziness equals longevity, The Joy of Laziness also
suggests that early risers are more prone to stress and that late sleepers live
longer because they conserve’ their energy. "People who would rather laze in a
hammock instead of running a marathon, or who take a nap instead of playing
squash, have a better chance of living into old age."
The Joy of
laziness, which is published soon, will be essential reading for Dan Kieran. the
29-year old deputy editor of The Idler, a literary magazine. "This book
definitely makes sense to me," said Mr. Kieran. "I spend one day a week in the
office and the rest of my time involved in a lot of relaxation. Having the right
amount of laziness in your life is a vital component to being happy. We live in
a culture of guilt, where laziness is scorned. However. I firmly believe that we
do not need to do half as much exercise as people think and it is very important
to just lie down and do nothing sometimes," he said.
The medical
establishment, however, is skeptical. Dr. Vivienne Nathanson, the head of
science and ethics at the British Medical Association, said that moderate
exercise should not be set aside in favour of lazing around. "It is a very
tempting theory as so often, many of us feel that we cannot be bothered with
exercise," she said. "However, I would not agree that people have a set amount
of expendable energy during a lifetime and that exercise is bad for you. In
fact, done sensibly, exercise lowers the blood pressure, improves your metabolic
state and can improve health and contribute to a longer life." Dr. Graham
Archard, the vice chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said:
"I can understand why the book might sell well as it is always nice to be told
that you can sit on your backside and do nothing."
Dr. Peter Axt and her daughter agree with all the following EXCEPT ______.
A.fewer free radicals may slow down one’s metabolism.
B.high energy activities may cause more diseases.
C.too much exercise may impair one’s organs.
D.the feeling of stress may weaken one’s immunity.