Couch Potatoes: It's Not Too Late

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that sedentary lifestyles can kill. Yes, choosing to be a couch potato can shave years off your life. But if you're in your forties, it's not too late to make a change and delay your date with the Grim Reaper.

In a study reported by Scientific American, potatoes that managed to peel themselves off the couch after the age of 40 cut their chances of expiring due to cardiovascular problems by 55 percent. That's just slightly less than people who were active for their entire lives. The most active among us are just 60 percent less likely to develop heart disease.

This is good news and bad news. It's good news because it shows that it's (almost) never too late to improve health with an active lifestyle. But it's bad news because now you have a great excuse to be a lazy bum until you're about 45 years old. And despite what the study implies, I refuse to believe that's a good idea.