Is taking no exercise really as bad for you as smoking?

Yes, taking no exercise is as bad for you as smoking.

A Swedish study published in the British Medical Journal in March 2009 with the catchy title of 'Total mortality after changes in leisure time physical activity in 50 year old men: 35 year follow-up of population based cohort' followed over 2000 men who were aged 50 in the early 1970s for 35 years. It found that the health benefits of taking regular moderate exercise are as high as for giving up smoking.

What's more, according to the British Heart Foundation more heart disease deaths are caused by not exercising than by smoking. The BHF reckons that at least a third of deaths from coronary heart disease (CHD) are the result of lack of exercise - that's one in three deaths - compared to to one fifth of CHD deaths due to smoking - one in five deaths.