The human body and physical activity

the human body and physical activity

Lieberman, D. E. (2013). The Sory of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease (First edition.). Pantheon Books.

• The hunters and gatherers were active, but there was no regimented form of exercise.

• They were physically active to find food, and prevent being a meal for predators

• There are different forms of physical activity, and that's okay!

Physical Activity in the Past

Farrar, O. (2024, October 25). The Evolutionary Case for Exercise. Harvard Magazine. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/10/harvard-evolutionary-case-for-exercise

• Our ancestors were almost constantly moving.

• Many humans hundreds of years ago spent over 120 minutes each day being physically active.

• We've had a fundamental shift due to convenience, comfort and laziness.

Physical Activity in the Past

Farrar, O. (2024, October 25). The Evolutionary Case for Exercise. Harvard Magazine. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/10/harvard-evolutionary-case-for-exercise

• Lifestyle choices

• Environmental changes

• Diseases that were less prevalent or non-existent in the past

What are mismatch diseases?

• Changes in climate

• New habitats

ObesityMyopiaType II DiabetesHeart DiseaseOther chronic diseasesHypertensionCavitiesOsteoporosis

Farrar, O. (2024, October 25). The Evolutionary Case for Exercise. Harvard Magazine. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/10/harvard-evolutionary-case-for-exercise

Types of mismatch diseases

Lea, A. J., Clark, A. G., Dahl, A. W., Devinsky, O., Garcia, A. R., Golden, C. D., Kamau, J., Kraft, T. S., Lim, Y. A., Martins, D. J., Mogoi, D., Pajukanta, P., Perry, G. H., Pontzer, H., Trumble, B. C., Urlacher, S. S., Venkataraman, V. V., Wallace, I. J., Gurven, M., … Ayroles, J. F. (2023a). Applying an evolutionary mismatch framework to understand disease susceptibility. PLOS Biology, 21(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002311

According to (Farrar, 2024) Lieberman mentions that a body without exercise cannot repair itself. A sedentary body's skeletal and muscular systems, among other systems throughout the body are impaired.

Farrar, O. (2024, October 25). The Evolutionary Case for Exercise. Harvard Magazine. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/10/harvard-evolutionary-case-for-exercise

The human body and physical activity

Physical activity is an imperative solution for disease-prevention. According to (Lieberman, 2015) we were designed to physically exert ourselves. According to a study from (Gurven & Lieberman, 2020) exercise builds muscle, enhances skeletal strength and density, and can prevent mismatch diseases.

Farrar, O. (2024, October 25). The Evolutionary Case for Exercise. Harvard Magazine. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/10/harvard-evolutionary-case-for-exercise

Gurven, M. D., & Lieberman, D. E. (2020). Weird bodies: Mismatch, medicine and missing diversity. Evolution and Human Behavior, 41(5), 330–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.04.001

Lieberman, D. E. (2015). Is exercise really medicine? an evolutionary perspective. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 14(4), 313–319. https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000168

The Human Body and Disease Prevention Through Physical Activity

• In a study conducted by (Gurven & Lieberman, 2020) they noted that a majority of chronic illnesses today are mismatch diseases that can be prevented or treated through looking a lens from the past.
• They mentioned the processed foods, riddled with fat and excessive sugar are reasons that obesity, cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke and other chronic diseases have increased.
• Obesity has tripled over the last forty years as well.
• A major change in physical activity is the reduced manual labor in the workforce. Hunter-gatherers walked double, if not four times more than populations now.
• Increased sedentary lifestyles can lead to increased risk of hypertension, which can sometimes be diminished through physical activity.
• The risks of Alzheimer’s and osteoarthritis can also be reduced through physical activity, which are both mismatch diseases that can be prevented according to this study.
• Other illnesses can be reversed through physical activity in early stages such as type II diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or mental health isues associated with these diseases as well.

Chronic illnesses

Gurven, M. D., & Lieberman, D. E. (2020). Weird bodies: Mismatch, medicine and missing diversity. Evolution and Human Behavior, 41(5), 330–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.04.001

Chronic illnesses' influence on the wellness wheel

From the beginning of time, our bodies have adapted and changed as a result of luxuries, comforts, environments and technological advancements. Our bodies don't always adjust well or adapt perfectly to these changes. Our lifesyles, environments, and cultures differ from our ancestors. As a result, we are now faced with mismatch diseases and chronic illnesses. Another drastic change we have all faced is the COVID-19 pandemic. Various aspects of wellness changed because of lockdowns, lack of interactions with others, and working completely remotely (Lipskaya-Velikovsky, 2021). None of those issues impacted our ancestors or their bodies. Since the emergence of COVID-19, patients have been adopting behaviors and lifestyles that are negatively impacting their health such as a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, isolating themselves, smoking, and decreased mental and physical health (McBride et al., 2021). The pandemic has negatively impacted mental health, overall well-being, traveling, and typical lifestyles in society (Li & Huang, 2022).

Chronic illnesses' influence on the wellness wheel

According to a study conducted by (Markovikj et al., 2023), obesity affects a large percentage of individuals. Obesity has impacted approximately three times more people globally from 1975 to 2016. Obesity increases the risk of developing countless chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, fertility issues, diabetes, cancers, and a myriad of other conditions. Due to obesity being a global issue, it can be argued that weight loss and physical activity can be a successful intervention for these chronic diseases, and can improve body composition. This study also states that obesity can impede quality of life, physical activity, mood, and activities of daily living. It can also be argued that these interventions can successfully improve various areas of wellness.

Resources

Farrar, O. (2024, October 25). The Evolutionary Case for Exercise. Harvard Magazine. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2024/10/harvard-evolutionary-case-for-exercise

Gurven, M. D., & Lieberman, D. E. (2020). Weird bodies: Mismatch, medicine and missing diversity. Evolution and Human Behavior, 41(5), 330–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.04.001

Lieberman, D. E. (2015). Is exercise really medicine? an evolutionary perspective. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 14(4), 313–319. https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000168

Lieberman, D. E. (2013). The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease. Pantheon Books.

Lea, A. J., Clark, A. G., Dahl, A. W., Devinsky, O., Garcia, A. R., Golden, C. D., Kamau, J., Kraft, T. S., Lim, Y. A., Martins, D. J., Mogoi, D., Pajukanta, P., Perry, G. H., Pontzer, H., Trumble, B. C., Urlacher, S. S., Venkataraman, V. V., Wallace, I. J., Gurven, M., … Ayroles, J. F. (2023a). Applying an evolutionary mismatch framework to understand disease susceptibility. PLOS Biology, 21(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002311

Stoewen, D. L. (2017). Dimensions of wellness: Change your habits, change your life. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 58(8), 861–862.

Li, C., & Huang, X. (2022). How does covid-19 risk perception affect wellness tourist intention: Findings on Chinese generation z. Sustainability, 15(1), 141. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010141

Lipskaya-Velikovsky, L. (2021). Mental health and wellness during covid-19: Impact on healthy population. European Psychiatry, 64(S1). https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.746

McBride, E., Arden, M. A., Chater, A., & Chilcot, J. (2021). The impact of Covid‐19 on Health Behaviour, well‐being, and long‐term physical health. British Journal of Health Psychology, 26(2), 259–270. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12520

Markovikj, G., Knights, V., & Kljusurić, J. G. (2023). Ketogenic diet applied in weight reduction of overweight and obese individuals with progress prediction by use of the modified Wishnofsky equation. Nutrients, 15(4), 927. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15040927