Being inactive does more harm to your chances of living to a ripe old age than smoking, scientists have claimed. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio looked at data on 122,007 patients who were given regular treadmill tests over 24 years from 1991.

Predictably, they found that being fit was associated with living longer. What shocked the team, however, was the size of the disparity between the outcomes for the inactive and the ultra-fit. The data revealed that those who performed worst in the fitness test – and who, by implication, did little or no exercise – were five times more likely to suffer a premature death than participants in the fittest bracket. The benefits of aerobic fitness were especially marked among the over-70s and those with hyper-tension. “Being unfit on a treadmill has a worse prognosis, as far as death is concerned, than being hypertensive, being diabetic or being a current smoker,” said Dr Wael Jaber, one of the researchers. “We’ve never seen something as pronounced as this. It should be treated almost as a disease that has a prescription, which is called exercise.” (The Week 24 Nov 2018)

My wife and I belong to a gym. Sometimes there are only a dozen people there, and they are typically young. Those of us of more mature years are few and quite far between. It puzzles me. You have limited time if you have a job, but for us retirees there isn‘t much of an excuse. One doesn’t even have to go to a formal gym – just walk in the open air, briskly and every day, if possible.

Could someone explain why they don’t look after themselves? Looking after yourself, and being active, is Epicurean, in my opinion.