I just read an amusing little blurb in the March 10, 2004 issue of The Onion about exercise in America:
Study: 58 Percent of U.S. Exercise Televised
WASHINGTON, DC — According to a new Department of Health and Human Services study, 58 percent of all exercise performed in the U.S. is broadcast on television. “Of the 3.5 billion push-ups performed in 2003, 2.03 billion took place on exercise shows on the Lifetime Network and ESPN3 or fitness segments on Good Morning America,” the study read. “The abundance of TV exercise would create the impression that America is a healthy society, if everyone didn’t already know that we’re a bunch of disgusting, near-immobile spectators.” The DHHS study also indicated that 99.3 percent of the nation’s Soloflex workouts are televised.
I’d link to the article, but the Onion’s archives are so screwed up that it is nearly impossible to link to a past issue, let alone a news blurb. Anywho, the point of this whole post was to lament the lack of exercise that I’ve done while home on break. I had every intention of going for a run this week (yesterday was an exception—it was migraine headache day) but the freak snowstorm today will likely limit the spring-like run I craved. Maybe I’ll just go watch the Fitness Channel and nurse a milkshake. Sigh.