Scientists are developing an ‘exercise pill’

If your enthusiasm for exercise is more like a slow shuffle than leaping for the finish line, here’s some good news: scientists are working on a pill to give you the benefits of exercise without actually having to exercise.

While still in its early stages, a report in the journal Trends in Pharmacological Sciences states that it will target skeletal muscle performance and improve strength and energy.

But exercise brings so many other benefits – from improving bone density, to reducing your chronic disease risk, improving mental health and even boosting longevity – will this pill be able to replace the act of working out?

Not for the majority of the population. “The idea of developing such a pill is obviously a very attractive one and will benefit many in need when they are unable to benefit from regular exercise,” study researcher Ismail Laher from the University of British Colombia told Yahoo Health.

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For example, for people who have experienced a spinal chord injury or paralysis, it may be beneficial for cardiovascular or skeletal muscle function. However, it wouldn’t be able to replicate the many other benefits that come from exercise.

As for whether or not the pill would be available over the counter or by prescription – it’s still uncertain. “It would depend on safety issues, and these sorts of studies have not been carried out,” Laher said.

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But don’t expect it to be on shelves any time soon – it’s probably more than five years away.

“We are only now beginning to identify the molecular targets that such pills would need to interact with,” Laher told Yahoo Health. “But in doing so, we are also beginning to appreciate where such drugs fall short in terms of a straight-up comparison with regular physical activities.”

Bottom line: at the moment, it sounds too good to be true because unfortunately (at the moment at least) it is.

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