Very interesting article in today's New York Times.com by the always reliable Tara Parker-Hope.
(Seriously, after reading her work for years I have a big old girl-crush on her!)
Here is the link:
Do Our Genes Influence Our Desire to Exercise?
Here is an excerpt.
Using complicated statistical formulas, the scientists concluded that differences in exercise behavior were about 60 percent attributable to genes. In other words, your parents influence your decision about whether to be active, not just by signing you up for soccer camp when you’re a kid but also by bequeathing you a genetic urge to work out — or not.
If that is true I have no idea where my love for exercise comes from. Both of my parents are rather inactive hedonists and three out of four of my grandparents were heavy smokers who liked to cut a rug once in a while but you would never catch them breaking a sweat. (Maybe in church on some Sunday mornings but that is another story.)
My maternal grandfather was a tiny (5' 4) Irish dynamo who came to America with his mad skills as a jockey. J.D. was a horse lover and an outdoors enthusiast throughout his entire life so maybe I inherited some of his love for feeling the wind on my face as I ride... (Or maybe that just feels good no matter what!)
My two brothers are not exactly jocks (though their minds are as fast and sharp as a Mike Tyson punch) but my sister is a an avid runner and skier who has been very careful about what she eats and how often she exercises since she was a kid. (The woman NEVER splurges.)
Anyway, enough about me. I just wanted to pass along some interesting research that caught my eye this morning. Now go enjoy your day!
ox ox,
BFC
