Paris: French President Nicolas Sarkozy who suffered a shocking jogging collapse is doing well and will be back to work soon, an official said on Monday.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was "doing well" in hospital after collapsing during a weekend jog, his chief of staff said, as the ailing leader was urged to cut back on his grueling schedule.

Sarkozy, 54, collapsed yesterday while running at his weekend retreat near the Versailles palace west of Paris. He was taken to a military hospital in the capital by helicopter after the incident.

A presidential aide said the French leader -- who assumed office in May 2007 -- was suffering from a "minor" problem related to his vagus nerve, which helps the body regulate the heart rate.

Sarkozy is "doing well," his chief of staff Claude Gueant told AFP. The French leader is scheduled to leave the Val de Grace Hospital later today.

"He'''s fine. He's hungry. He's complaining. Everything is going well," lawmaker and Sarkozy ally Patrick Balkany told RTL radio after talking to Gueant and first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

"Carla reassured us straight away... it's a passing thing. The president is going to have to take more care, work a little less hard and eat a little bit more," he added, blaming the incident on Sarkozy's recent efforts to lose weight.

"Recently the president has looked very honed -- he looks more like a Tour de France rider than a president," he joked.