It turns out that political views can be an indicator of whether or not an individual exercises on a weekly basis. Recently the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published findings that reveal individuals who are on the far right or left of the political spectrum tend–on average–to get at least one hour of exercise weekly; whereas individuals who are in the middle, or are undecided, tend not to exercise as frequently.

An excerpt from the BMJ stated this about the correlation between political beliefs and exercise: “Busy people at both ends of the political spectrum do not seem to have as much time for idleness,” researchers noted, in a news release. “The increased time spent walking and doing vigorous physical activities suggests that they might be out agitating in the field, mobilizing the community, and actively distributing ideas and propaganda.”

The study that examined the correlation between exercise and political views used data gathered in a 2005 Eurobarometer survey; this survey was conducted for the European Commission and asked individuals from 32 European countries what their political views are and how strong they are on a scale from one to 10. The survey also inquired about exercise and rest behavior.

The survey reported that those who were either far left or right were more physically active during each week. The survey found that only seven percent of individuals reported themselves to be on the far right, and only seven percent of individuals reported themselves to be on the far left. Whereas centrists dominated, accounting for 61 percent of the survey.

Thus, if individuals who are in the center or are unaffiliated with politics assume a stronger political stance they may become not only more active politically, but also physically.