Do you remember when you realized the pandemic was going to change life as you knew it?
I do: March 13, 2020, when I ordered a Peloton bike because my spin studio shut down. That day I joined the “home workout revolution,” which has fueled multi-billion dollar gains for the fitness industry.
Do I love working out? Honestly, not really. The guilt of skipping a day or not going hard, fast, or far enough haunts me. But heart disease and diabetes run in my family, so I have to exercise a few times a week.
Lucky for us reluctant athletes, there’s anthropological evidence that makes fitness less of a chore and more of an evolutionary opportunity.
Ancient Aerobics
Humans have had to move their bodies for survival from the dawn of time —hunting, gathering, and running from predators — so conserving energy was critical. As evolutionary biologist and author of Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding, Daniel Lieberman points out:
All in all, humans have these deep-rooted instincts to avoid unnecessary physical activity because until recently, it was beneficial to avoid it. Now, we judge people as lazy if they don’t exercise. But they’re not lazy. They’re just being normal.
While you’re not off the hook completely because research shows physical activity lowers mortality rates, you can lighten up on judging yourself and others. On the other hand, exercise can make you make you feel fantastic, because you’re adding in a form of movement that we’re missing as modern humans.
Move Past the Myths
Beyond the myth that voluntary exercise is normal, Lieberman also pokes holes in common fitness misconceptions. For example, sitting isn’t “the new smoking” — just be sure to move (even fidgeting works) every few minutes. (Take that, standing desks!)
However, the most important belief Lieberman busts is that we should slow down as we age.
We invented the concept of retirement in the modern Western world, and along with that, the notion that once we hit 65, it’s normal to take it easy. But that was never true for our ancestors. There was no such thing as retirement in the Stone Age.
See, even fitness is part of the unretirement trend. Lieberman encourages us to fight our instinct to avoid voluntary exercise with three ways to think like an evolutionary anthropologist.
First, lean into the resistance. Don’t beat yourself up for not wanting to exercise, but still, push through.
Second, our ancestors evolved to be physically active when necessary or socially rewarding, so choose workouts that cover both bases.
And finally, extreme athleticism may be a sign that you’re coping with midlife discontent, but it’s unnecessary to optimize your health. Even moderate exercise makes a big difference.
So let go of the guilt and keep going. That’s the best way to exercise your right to a long and healthy life.
Why Run Unless Something is Chasing You? (The Harvard Gazette)
