Why Do My Resolutions to Exercise Keep Fail?
Evolutionary biology that makes even non-exercisers squirm

It is common knowledge that exercise is good for your health.
But why is exercise so tiresome? If exercise truly is a "magic pill," why do people live longer today, despite being more sedentary than ever before? Does running actually cause knee problems? Is sitting necessarily bad for your health? Does walking help you lose weight? Is it normal to move less as you age?

Daniel Lieberman, a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University and a pioneering researcher on the evolution of human physical activity, delves into the contradictory and unsettling information about exercise.
He presents twelve exercise-related superstitions and clearly explains various human physical activities that have not been well explained until now, based on insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology.
It's full of useful information, including how certain exercises are effective for various diseases, whether walking 10,000 steps is really good for your health, and how to do weight training and aerobic exercise.
This book, a blend of the author's extensive field experience, meticulous research knowledge, wit, and liveliness, will immediately move readers.

Everyone knows that you should exercise, but there's nothing more annoying than hearing people tell you that you should exercise this much.
If exercise is so natural and should be done, why, after all these years, has no one found an effective way to help more people overcome their deep-rooted natural instinct to resist exertion?
--- p.18

These apes, our closest relatives, spend most of their days lazing around, as if observing a never-ending Sabbath.
Hunter-gatherers like the Hadza, who don't do extremely strenuous work and spend a significant portion of their days doing little physical activity, appear to be workaholics compared to apes.

--- p.66

As I've said many times, sitting in a comfortable chair puts almost no strain on your muscles.
On the other hand, squatting or kneeling requires some muscle effort, and simply standing burns 8 more calories per hour than sitting, and light activities like folding laundry can burn as much as 100 calories per hour more.
These calories add up.
Just five hours of low-intensity, "non-exercise" physical activity a day can burn as much energy as running for an hour.
--- p.118

Even light activities like occasional movement while sitting, or even activities that require muscle strength like squatting or kneeling, lower blood fat and sugar levels more than sitting passively for long periods of time.
--- p.119

Their sleep time was actually shorter than that of people in industrial societies.
During warmer months, these wild foragers sleep an average of 5.7 to 6.5 hours per night, while during colder months, they sleep an average of 6.6 to 7.1 hours per night.
Not only that, they hardly ever took naps.
Contrary to what we often hear, there is no evidence that people in non-industrial societies sleep more than people in industrial or post-industrial societies.
--- p.150

Humans appear to have adapted to sleep less than our ape relatives, including chimpanzees.
Our ancestors slept lightly, reduced their sleep to a minimum, and each member took turns sleeping deeply, with at least one person in the group always waking up to sound the alarm in times of danger. If this had not been the case, our ancestors, who were particularly weak, might have gone extinct long ago.
--- p.153

Our society tends to make judgments about whether or not we move our bodies.
It's like labeling sitting as bad and sleeping as good.
In reality, both of these relaxation strategies are perfectly normal, yet highly variable, behaviors with complex costs and benefits, and are strongly influenced by our surroundings and contemporary cultural norms.
--- p.169

Most of us are stronger than we think, but we never fully utilize our strength.
This is because our nervous system is smart enough to prevent us from going all out, which could tear our muscles, break our bones, or even endanger our lives.
--- p.229

Older hunter-gatherers and those who remain active throughout their lives are living proof that using muscles can help prevent muscle loss as we age.
It's not that getting older doesn't mean your muscles' ability to respond to resistance exercise ends.
In fact, if you occasionally do resistance training at a slow pace, you can reverse muscle loss regardless of age.
--- p.235

The most common area of ​​injury when running is the knees.
I can't even count how many times I've met people (including doctors) who complained that their knees were out because they ran too much.
Does running really cause so many injuries? If we evolved to run long distances, why aren't our bodies better adapted to it?
--- p.358

I've been racking my brain for decades trying to explain why our ancestors developed so many adaptations for running such incredibly long distances.
The only plausible answer I can come up with is that it was to get my hands on meat.
--- p.350

One similarity between running and dancing that few people think about is how they transport us to another dimension.
Long, intense workouts stimulate the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain, including opioids, endorphins, and, most importantly, endocannabinoids, which are similar to the active compounds in marijuana.
That's why people who run or dance feel a heightened sense of well-being.
--- p.373

According to this theory, these diligent and helpful grandparents, who were blessed with genes that favored longevity while caring for others, had more children and grandchildren, thus passing on their genes to their descendants.
It is clear that as time goes by, humans have been selected to live longer, be more tolerant, and be useful grandparents to those around them.

--- p.383

If exercise is so damaging to the body, why is it considered good for your health? The reason is that after she stopped exercising, her body responded in a unique way, not only repairing all the damage caused by exercise, but, most importantly, even repairing some of the damage incurred when she wasn't exercising.
--- p.399

As it turns out, skipping exercise, even when you're pressed for time, can sometimes make you less productive.
Randomized controlled studies of college students confirm that much of what we already instinctively know is true.
In other words, even just briefly engaging in moderate to high intensity exercise can improve memory and concentration.
--- p.455

Ultimately, each of us is an "experiment" with different preferences based on our backgrounds, goals, and age, so there may not be an optimal combination of exercise types, just as there may not be an optimal amount of exercise.
So, although exercise may be a somewhat bizarre modern behavior, from an evolutionary perspective, we still recommend the same level of physical activity that people have been doing for centuries, albeit with different terminology.
That means working out a few hours a week, focusing on cardio and some weight training, and continuing to do so even as you get older.
--- p.486

If we simply follow that ancient, deep-rooted instinct to avoid the discomfort of physical exertion, we will not only age faster and increase our chances of dying younger, but we will also become more susceptible to numerous diseases and chronic, disabling conditions.
Along with this, you will forever miss the opportunity to live a life full of energy that comes with being strong in both body and mind.
Given our evolutionary history, a lifetime of physical activity dramatically increases our chances of living a healthy life and dying after 70 years.

--- p.549