Move Like a Hunter-Gatherer, Live Longer

-
One of the best ways to reduce your risk of chronic disease and live a longer life may be to act like a hunter-gatherer.
Scientists recently analyzed the physical habits of our hunter-gatherer ancestors -- people who tended to engage in short bursts of physical activity (mostly outside) coupled with periods of rest -- and health experts agree we'd probably all be better off physically if we followed that example. In fact, our bodies may be genetically programmed for it.

Walk on the Wild Side
Our hunter-gatherer predecessors were pretty busy. Whether they were digging for roots and tubers; making tools; building shelters; hunting; or carrying logs, food, or small children, they were often on the move. All in all, they probably expended between 800 and 1,200 calories per day doing physical things -- most of them outdoors. But the average American today? We expend only a small fraction of energy doing anything physical. As a result, our stamina, muscle strength, and flexibility aren't maintained. What's more, our inactive ways cause us to miss out on yet more healthful habits enjoyed by hunter-gatherers -- socializing and outdoor living. Hunting and foraging in small groups provided our ancestors with a social outlet and an opportunity to be outside frequently -- both of which are natural mood boosters.  

Get Back to Nature
Human beings lived for eons as hunter-gatherers, so it's not surprising that our bodies are built to thrive under physically demanding conditions outside. Ready to activate your hunter-gatherer genes? Here's a fitness plan that will help emulate the hunter-gatherer way:
  • Hit the trails. Researchers estimate that hunter-gatherers walked between 4 and 10 miles a day just to find necessities! While you might not be able to hit that lofty mark, you could probably do a lot more than you're currently doing. Find ways to walk more during everyday tasks, and bake a daily walk into your schedule as well.
  • Lift things. At least two to three times a week, you should do some strength training. Instead of carrying logs, carry groceries, laundry, kids, and pets. Instead of stacking rocks, lift weights at home or at the gym.
  • Get your flex on. Activities like yoga, dancing, tai chi, and gardening can help improve your flexibility -- something that hunter-gatherers had in spades.
  • Do it outdoors. Exercising outside on natural surfaces (the ones we evolved with, like grass and dirt) works more muscles and boosts your balance.
  • Work out with a buddy. You'll get the added benefit of mood-boosting social interaction.
  • Mix it up. Once or twice a week, alternate short bursts of moderate- to high-intensity physical activity with periods of rest and recovery to challenge your heart and lungs. Follow harder workout days with easier workout days. Hunter-gatherers got lots of rest, relaxation, and sleep when recovering from physically demanding days.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Low-Cal Game Day Snacks

-
Combine 1 month of holiday feasting with 1 football season of noshing on high-calorie snacks, and what have you got? Double the size in belly, hips, and thighs. But cheer up! We've got diet snack solutions to help. That's right. Game day food makeovers that look and taste like the originals. Your guests won't even know they're low in fat (and you'll stay in your skinny jeans till baseball season). Lite Wings: Cut the saturated fat and sodium with these cornmeal-crusted boneless buffalo wings. Serve them with a light blue-cheese dip. Pizza-to-go: For maximum calorie control, make it yourself. If convenience is a priority, order a thin-crust veggie pizza from Domino's, Pizza Hut, or Papa John's. All three can deliver a pizza that weighs in at less than 250 calories a slice. Chips and dip: Serve baked chips with a Greek-yogurt-based fat-free dip. At about 15 calories a tablespoon, you can have more than a handful.   Chocolate fix: Make y...
Read More>>

Best Way to Stay Healthy? Call In Sick

-
Next time you get a sore throat and sniffles, here's what you need to do to avoid can't-get-out-of-bed misery later: stay home. Research shows that people who report to work sick are much more likely to get laid out flat by an even nastier bout of illness down the road. Sick at Work People who came to work sick at least six times within the previous year were 50 percent more likely to need extended sick leave later on -- as much as two or more weeks off within the next 18 months. Why is punching the clock when you're sick so bad? Researchers speculate that when people don't take time to rest and recuperate, the body gets more and more run down -- to the point where it can't keep a little illness from ballooning into big trouble.    Healthy Solution Okay, so sometimes you might feel like you really just don't have time to be sick. Or maybe you don't have the luxury of copious sick days. If you can swing it, stay home. But also try these ...
Read More>>

Put the garlic piece in the ear before sleeping, the benefit will shock you

-
Image
Typically, the garlic ingested to increase the test in food which is very beneficial for the health. It is also eaten, as well as its oil is used in troubleshooting of many problems. Garlic oil is used in many problems related to ear or nose. This thing usually we all know. But Garlic is beneficial in many other things besides this. There are also many advantages by keeping the cut bud of Garlic in the ear. So let's know, about those benefits. Helps in Reducing High fever Many times a very high fever causes due to viral or other reason. In spite of taking medicines, there is no comfort. In such a situation, if you try to sleep with a piece of Garlic on the mouth of the ear, you will see that in a short time, fierce fall in fever. Immediate prevention of ear problem People who have pain in their ear, or problems with water or pus. Garlic is a very useful thing for them. For this, cut the Garlic before sleeping at night and place it on th...
Read More>>

Adsense