Virtual Life Can Keep You Fit

It is the news geeks have been dreaming of!
A US study says keyboard captivity can lose you as much weight as sweating it out at the gym! Indiana University researchers found virtual exercise is as beneficial as real exercise, because the confidence and motivation created in the virtual world continues offline.
Over 12 weeks, one test group exercised for real while the other watched their virtual selves do all the sweatin' in the popular online world Second Life. Despite the obvious exertion differences, both groups lost a similar average weight of 4.5kg.
Asst Prof Jeanne Johnston was surprised by the finding: "In the virtual world they see themselves participating and losing weight. Whereas in reality, the person might not necessarily have that ability to actually see themselves, so we think there could potentially be a visualisation factor. If you can visualise yourself being successful in activity, that gives you
confidence to actually do it."
But sports psychologist Jacqui Louder warns against giving up physical exercise: "We still want them to understand the benefits of real exercise - healthy eating, relaxation, life balance. Nothing can be used on its own. It has to be used in conjunction with other methods."
To me, the results sound like justification for couch-potato laziness… just as the study itself seems little more than three months’ waste of time! Still, it’ll make geeks feel better about themselves, if they can just step back from a 12hr. marathon of Halo to read about it!
Oh, duuuhhh, silly me - they can read about it on-line!!