Understand your body’s evolutionary history and work with its natural inclinations to find sustainable health solutions, rather than fighting against them.
Recognize that the instinct to avoid exertion is completely normal and natural, and do not feel guilty or ashamed about it.
Approach physical activity like education, making it both necessary (through commitment) and enjoyable to overcome natural resistance and sustain engagement.
Refrain from blaming yourself or others for struggles with physical activity or weight loss, as these often stem from deep-seated biological instincts.
Adopt an individualized approach to physical activity, focusing on finding ways to move your body more that genuinely work and are enjoyable for you.
Implement formal or informal commitment contracts (e.g., financial stakes, social agreements) to create accountability and make physical activity a necessary obligation.
Partner with a friend for exercise to create social pressure and accountability, which can help overcome reluctance and ensure consistent participation.
If your job involves prolonged sitting, consciously engage in physical activity during your leisure time, as this is more predictive of overall health than work-time sitting.
Break up long periods of sitting by getting up and moving every 10-15 minutes, as this ‘interrupted sitting’ offers significant metabolic benefits and reduces inflammation.
Incorporate diverse sitting postures, such as sitting on the ground with legs out, squatting, or kneeling, to engage different muscles and avoid prolonged static positions.
Challenge the cultural norm of becoming less active with age; instead, increase physical activity as you get older to maintain muscle health, slow aging, and activate repair mechanisms.
Build your fitness program on a bedrock of cardiovascular exercise, but also incorporate strength training for a balanced approach that aligns with evolutionary needs.
Engage in moderate levels of physical activity to upregulate key components of your immune system, boosting immune cell production and enhancing vaccine responses.
Begin your movement journey with simple, enjoyable activities like dancing in your kitchen for 10 minutes, rather than feeling pressured to do more complex exercises.
Proactively eliminate obstacles to exercise, such as laying out workout clothes the night before, to make it easier to start your activity even when motivation is low.
Critically evaluate societal norms related to health (e.g., specific sleep hours, sitting posture) and determine if they genuinely work for your biology in the modern world.
Question the cultural norm of needing exactly eight hours of sleep; recognize that individual sleep requirements vary, with epidemiological data often pointing to seven hours as optimal for many.
If you experience pain from running, investigate the underlying cause (e.g., existing damage, improper form) rather than just treating the symptoms, and consider adjusting your running style.
Understand that running is a skill that can be improved; focus on learning proper form and technique to reduce injury risk and enhance performance.
Consider transitioning to a forefoot strike (landing on the ball of your foot) when running, as it can reduce impact and head jiggling compared to a heel strike.
If interested in barefoot or minimalist running, transition very gradually and slowly, learning the proper skill of running to gain benefits and avoid injury.
Try walking or running barefoot for short distances on smooth, safe surfaces to reconnect with your body’s natural mechanics, starting slowly to prevent injury.
Begin your barefoot journey by walking in your garden or backyard to gradually re-familiarize your feet with direct ground contact.
Incorporate dancing into your routine as a culturally universal and enjoyable form of physical activity that offers both social and health benefits.
Integrate physical activity into your workday by getting up and walking during meetings, or by having ‘meetings on the hoof’.
Be aware that constant reliance on chair backs reduces muscle engagement in your back, potentially leading to weakness and lower back pain.
Aim for functional strength necessary for daily life and healthy aging, rather than pursuing extreme muscle mass, which is a modern and energetically expensive goal.
Avoid judgment regarding how others choose to be physically active; support any method that works for an individual to achieve their movement goals.
Use positive social pressure or accountability (e.g., the desire not to be seen as a hypocrite) to motivate yourself to maintain positive habits like taking the stairs.
As a society, develop more creative and inclusive approaches to physical activity that accommodate diverse fitness levels and disabilities.
Understand that running is generally healthy for your knees, promoting cartilage growth and maintaining joint health as you age, contrary to common myths.