Daniel Lieberman is a professor of human evolution at Harvard, and also a long distance runner. He has raced horses in a marathon and won. He has also done research around the world seeing people engaging in physical activity. He has watched and interviewed hunter/gatherer societies. His goal in Exercised is to examine how we evolved to become fit and healthy, and to assess what kind of exercise is good for us. 

Exercised is a long book at 464 pages, or 13 hours in the audiobook. The central lessons of the book are relatively simple. Exercise is a modern phenomenon. Our evolutionary ancestors never exercised but conserved their energy for when they needed it, as other animals do. But before technology, people had to move around a lot. One of the distinctive features of humans is their endurance, which gives them an advantage when hunting. Modern life makes it more difficult to get exercise in regular activities. Moderate regular exercise of various kinds, including strength training, cardio, and 150 minutes a week are very good for you. Moderate exercise will not wear out your body. 

These claims are not particularly remarkable. That makes Exercised memorable is that Lieberman explains the evidence for his claims. He sets out some scientific experiments and their findings. He also tells stories about his own life and other historical incidents. He is sensitive to cultural issues. He is especially clear that it is very natural to avoid exercise, and it is entirely counterproductive to blame people for being lazy. In order to get people to exercise, it needs to be enjoyable. That generally means it needs to be social. Sports can be fun and there are other ways to increase the incentive to exercise. 

One of the pleasures of the book comes from Lieberman examining the claims that are made about health. Is slouching bad for you? Are standing desks helpful? Is running bad for the knees? Do we need 8 hours of sleep? 

Lieberman says that Exercised is not a self-help book. But I found that it motivated me to get more exercise in more varied formats. I also found myself telling other people about information I had just read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in health. 

Christian Perring is editor of Metapsychology Online Reviews.

Categories: Wellness

Keywords: exercise, health