JUST WATCHING SPORTS CAN INCREASE YOUR FITNESS: Good news for any couch potato that is also a sports fan, by watching sports you actually increase your fitness. New research out of Australia finds that simply watching sports on TV increases your heart rate and breathing rate. To find this, researchers monitored the nerve activity of participants as they were shown a video of static and then a video of a person running. Researchers say when participants watched the video of the person running their sympathetic nerve system– which creates the body’s physiological response to physical or mental stress– was stimulated. Researchers say that while the body’s physical response was small it was the appropriate physical response to exercise, despite the fact that volunteers were relaxed and sitting at the time. However, experts warn that nothing can replace the health benefits of engaging in real exercise. (Daily Mail)
