According to one research, excessive hard exercise may shorten your life. A startling new Japanese study suggests that everyday rigorous activity may actually decrease, rather than lengthen, one's lifetime. For this study, researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology examined a group of Kabuki actors. These men were famous for their intense training and performance schedules-some acting in several plays a year! The scientists found that these men lived about one year less than average Japanese men of the time. This means that if you were one of these Kabuki actors, you could expect to live until you were 63 instead of 70. This does not mean that you have to stop working out completely. But it is important to understand what kinds of activities require too much of your energy and what can be done instead. Exercise is good for you. It helps you maintain a healthy weight, lowers your risk of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and can even increase your lifespan. However, there are other ways to improve your health without being so active.