LONDON, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --     A national poll of 2,235 UK adults commissioned by Virgin Active, the
largest health club operator of its kind in the UK, reveals that one in five
adults are spending over 30 hours a week on their sofa. The results have
sparked fears that the British public is spending too much time on the sofa,
which could result in what Virgin Active has identified as 'Sofa Bottom
Syndrome'. This condition affects postural muscles and can lead to a host of
posture-related health and back problems.

Christian Mason, head of fitness at Virgin Active, comments: "Considering
that many people have desk jobs, which require them to sit for seven to eight
hours a day, it is alarming that by factoring in sofa time as well, a vast
number of British adults will spend a total of 63 waking hours a week sitting
down." This does not even take into account a morning commute in the car or
meal times, so this may still be a conservative estimate. These individuals
are prime candidates for extreme Sofa Bottom Sydrome, bearing in mind that
symptoms start to become apparent when an individual spends more than 30
hours a week on the sofa, with little other exercise.

Sofa time is mainly dedicated to channel surfing, watching DVD's, and
playing video games.

The overall findings show that of the 2,235 GB adults polled:

1) One in five adults spend over 30 hours a week on their sofa.

2) The average adult spends 23 hours a week on their sofa.

3) 50% spend between 14-21 hours on their sofas each week.

4) Only 5% don't spend any time on their sofa each week.

5) The biggest culprits for spending prolonged periods of time on the
sofa reside in Scotland, where over 20% of Scots polled spend over four hours
a day on their sofas

6) 47% of those polled in the North of England spend two to three hours
on their sofas each day

7) Adults in the South are clearly quite active, as they only spend an
average of 16 hours 6 minutes on their sofas each week whilst those in the
Midlands and Wales spend the least time, with 15 hours and 24 minutes on
their average Sofa Sitting Time Scale

7) Women spend more time on their sofas than men, racking up a national
average of 17 hours and 54 minutes each week, which is over an hour more than
men, who follow close behind with a national average of 16 hours and 42
minutes.

8) Those aged 55 and over are most likely to spend prolonged periods on
the sofa each week, admitting to 18 hours per week on average. The next
biggest age group is aged 45-54 who devotes an average of 17 hours and 6
minutes a week to their sofas.

9) Alarmingly, the third biggest group of self-confessed couch potatoes
is aged 18-24, spending an average of 16 hours and 54 minutes a week on the
sofa.

10) According to the YouGov poll, the age group that spends the least
amount of time on the sofa is aged 35-44, coming in at 16 hours and 24
minutes per week.

So can anything be done to shift the population back onto their feet?
Mason explains: "By devoting just 10% of the time you normally spend
cultivating a Sofa Bottom each week to being active, you can noticeably
improve your muscle tone and fitness levels. It's easy for postural muscles
to sag when you spend too much time sitting down. By introducing even a small
amount of exercise into your life - such as walking, you can help reverse the
telltale signs of laziness! Of course, rest is also essential, just don't
fall into the habit of wasting 30 hours a week immobile on the sofa!"

If you are not sure what your own weekly sofa time total is, then answer
the following 10 questions to identify whether you are a couch potato!

1) Signal failure with Sky sends you in to a frenzied panic?

2) Your friends consistently buy you TV Box sets for your birthday?

3) Your favourite takeaway delivery services is on speed dial - ahead of
your family?

4) You've visited QVC more than you've been to the supermarket?

5) You know who Lucy Bill, Michelle Connor and Marlon Dingle are, and you
actually consider them to be real friends?

6) You have a three-in-one remote control that never leaves your lap?

7) You have developed RSI in your thumb?

8) Your fridge is within reach of your sofa?

9) Your sofa accumulates so much change that you consider it a personal
banking system?

10) You have missed important social events because you were watching
television?

In recognition of Sofa Bottom Syndrome and Virgin Active's commitment to
tackling this growing social problem, the innovative health club operator is
launching a new workout class called the 'Sofa Bottom Workout', available in
all 71 Virgin Active health clubs across the UK, from 17th September 2007.
Virgin Active is also compiling secret Sofa SWAT teams to get the nation
moving, which will be visiting regions where Sofa Bottom Syndrome is rife...

More information about Sofa Bottom Syndrome can be found
at http://www.virginactive.co.uk.