Study: 'Couch potatoes' excuse on exercise is 'half-baked'

MADISON, Wisconsin -- Couch potatoes who say they don't have a place to exercise have lost their excuse.

They say they don't because it's not convenient, that there's no place nearby to work out.

So a research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison looked into this. And they say it's not so.

They found that three out of every four Americans lives within a half mile of a park, or within a mile of a gym or recreation center.

And those who live closer tend to be slimmer, and are more likely to live beyond the age of 75.

The proximity of exercise spots is a problem in some places. For example, only 41% of Mississippi residents had parks or gyms close.

Here in the Northeast, even more people have access to exercise spots than in the Southeast and Southwest.

And even if you don't live close to a park, there are plenty of free exercises you can do right at home.