The Joy of Laziness, Michaela Axt-Gadermann, Peter Axt
The Joy of Laziness: How to Slow Down and Live Longer - Michaela Axt-Gadermann, Peter Axt , Bloomsbury, 3 Jan 2005. ISBN:0747576769
| Title & Author: | The Joy of Laziness Michaela Axt-Gadermann, Peter Axt |
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"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."
In The Joy of Laziness, Michaela Axt-Gadermann and Peter Axt present scientific evidence suggesting that too much exercise leads to a shorter life. The authors are (former) champion athletes; Michaela is a medical doctor, and Peter a (retired) University researcher into health and fitness.
They present the results of research that shows:
- Exercise can make you ill.
- Being relaxed and even-tempered makes you more intelligent.
- Fasting delays the ageing process and lengthens your life.
- Sun and heat are the fountains of youth
- 'Doing nothing' does a great deal of good.
They give practical, realistic advice on how to live the slow life. But, as you should expect, there's no hard work involved. You are encouraged to make a few easy changes to your outlook and lifestyle. You get self-assessment tests, practical summaries, easy-reference tables, and lists of what to eat and what to avoid, and suggestions for easy exercises.
It's been know for sixty years, and repeatedly observed in many experiments, that calorie-restriction (without malnutrition) dramatically increases the lifespan of mammals. In fact, dietary restriction is the only experimental manipulation that has been shown to retard ageing in mammals. The Joy of Laziness takes this work seriously and encourages calorie restriction through eating 'just enough' without feeling deprived.
If you read the Telegraph review (left) you will see that the "fitness fascists" of the medical establishment try to undermine the book by suggesting it encourages the average person to "sit on their backside and do nothing". Indeed, the authors do suggest this as a good activity (and it sounds like fun!) But they also encourage people to do the minimum amount of walking recommended by reasonable health authorities. (In passing, note that the Telegraph review is VERY similar to reviews in other "top" newspapers. I guess reviewers are learning to be lazy.)
- The Joy of Laziness is for anyone finding today's 24/7 rat-race too much to cope with. Walk to the bookshop, buy this book and forget about expensive & unhealthy exercise classes.