Healthy Alternative for Bloggers

Two reports (see "Pot Belly..." and "Even Light Exercise...") made me bow my head and seriously think today. Particularly, the first one entitled "Pot Belly Linked to Heart Disease" was even cited as the most emailed article for at the BBC News site.

I admit, I do have a pot belly and therefore the article made my heart beat a tad faster than usual. Basically, the study states that while being overweight is a definitive factor to developing a heart disease, the concentration of that weight in the abdominal area poses increased risk for atherosclerosis - the narrowing and hardening of the arteries.

Ardent bloggers have a tendency to lead sedentary lifestyles due to the fact that they spend considerable time sitting down, uploading their various blogcasts in front of the computer. Couple that with a viscious amount of coffee and chips throughout the day and there then is a picture of a future medical bill that by itself can cause a heart attack.

Don't be deceived by video bloggers who look healthy from the chest up. Notice they won't show their waistline on webcam because in most certain terms there are probably love handles brimming down there.

Kidding aside, there is hope for bloggers to remain healthy come Web 3.0 and beyond. The second report encouraged light exercise (i.e. brisk walking) for 30 minutes 3 times a week. That is apparently enough to achieve certain health benefits. Although the minimum exercise regimen to achieve truly significant gains is 30 minutes for 5 times weekly, the 3 times a week program should push borderline couch potatoes off to performing some level of healthy activity.

So when you're stuck in a writing rut or presented with the option of blogging about a pop star in rehab, take your 30 minutes and just walk it off. The world won't miss it and you'll probably be a healthier blogger to boot!