Myths About Exercise and Movement
Honour the past, embrace the present: combining evolutionary lessons with modern tools for optimal health.
Published: January 18th, 2025 | By: Tom Newby | Read Time: 5 mins

Have you ever wondered why so many of us struggle to stay active – even when we know it’s good for us? Or why humans are built to move but often choose to sit? These are just a few of the fascinating questions evolutionary biologist Professor Daniel Lieberman explores in his work.
As someone who has long admired Lieberman’s research, I was thrilled to hear his recent interview on the Zoe Science & Nutrition podcast. His ideas have shaped how I think about musculoskeletal health – and my own fitness journey! In this article, I’ll share my interpretation of his insights on exercise, activity, and how to combine ancient wisdom with modern knowledge for a healthier life.
It’s Natural Not to Want to Exercise
Exercise is a completely modern invention. For millions of years, humans were active out of necessity – to hunt, gather, avoid predators, or engage in rewarding social activities like dancing. Exercise for its own sake? That’s a relatively recent concept, and our biology simply isn’t naturally wired for it. When people say they “hate exercising,” they’re not lazy – they’re responding to an entirely natural evolutionary tendency to conserve energy. “If you’re struggling to get enough calories,” Lieberman explains, “wasting 500 calories in the morning just for no purpose whatsoever is maladaptive.
Your Ancient Ancestors Were Super Fit… or Perhaps Not?
It’s tempting to romanticise our ancestors as super-athletes, but their fitness was practical and endurance-focused, shaped by daily tasks like digging, dancing, walking, carrying, and hunting.
“Muscle is expensive,” Lieberman explains, referring to the significant energy it takes to build and maintain. Our ancestors developed only the strength they needed to survive because carrying excess muscle in a world of unpredictable food availability could actually be a disadvantage. Your muscles are constantly adapting to your activity levels – use them, and they grow stronger; stop, and they shrink. That’s why regular strength training, like hitting the gym a few times a week, is so important to maintain muscle and overall health.
Interestingly, they also sat a lot, though usually on the ground or in more active positions, breaking up their sitting with movement. Modern research supports this: even brief activity during long sitting sessions can significantly reduce health risks.
The takeaway? Our ancestors were functional – they stayed active, but weren’t excessively strong. While we can learn from their activity levels, we now have modern tools they didn’t – better nutrition, training methods, medical care, and a more reliable food supply. With these advantages, we can improve our health in ways that go far beyond what their environment allowed for.
The Importance of Physical Activity for Health and Longevity
Physical activity is essential for long-term health, not just fitness. Lieberman highlights its key benefits:
1. Supporting repair systems: Movement activates the body’s repair processes, helping us stay healthier for longer.
2. Reducing disease risk: Regular activity lowers the chances of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and even cancer.
3. Slowing aging: Staying active preserves muscle mass, bone strength, and cognitive function, especially in older adults.
A study of London bus drivers and conductors found that the conductors, who walked all day, had half the rate of heart attacks compared to the drivers, who sat for most of their shifts.
For women, exercise is key to maintaining hormonal balance, reducing risks like osteoporosis, heart disease, and metabolic disorders, particularly after menopause. Inactivity can worsen these risks, so movement is crucial for long-term health.
Should You Slow Down in Retirement? Maybe not…
A common misconception is that older adults should slow down to avoid injury or fatigue. Lieberman disagrees, arguing that humans evolved to stay active throughout their lives. In many traditional societies, older adults are integral to their communities, often contributing by gathering food or caring for grandchildren. This activity keeps them physically and cognitively sharp.
Studies show that older adults derive even greater benefits from physical activity than younger people. Staying active helps prevent frailty, maintains independence, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Lieberman emphasises the concept of “health span” – the years of life spent in good health – and notes that it used to match lifespan. Now, many people survive for long periods in poor health, a problem that regular movement can help combat.
Physical activity is what allows the body’s systems to “stay switched on” as we age. The more we move, the more our bodies adapt, repair, and thrive, extending not just the length but also the quality of our lives.
Practical Tips for Staying Active
Lieberman emphasises that physical activity doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym or following a strict regimen. Here are some of his tips:
– Find what you enjoy: Whether it’s dancing, walking, gardening, or playing a sport, choose activities that feel rewarding.
– Mix it up: Incorporate a variety of activities into your routine to keep things fresh and fun.
– Break up sitting: Try standing or stretching every 30 minutes if you’re desk-bound.
– Stay consistent: The benefits of activity grow over time, so focus on building habits that stick.
Above all, remember that there’s no “one size fits all” approach to movement. What matters is finding something that works for you and sticking with it.
Final Thought
Our ancestors were functional – they stayed active, but weren’t excessively strong. Their movement was built into daily life, out of necessity. While we can learn a lot from their habits, we also have tools they never dreamed of – consistent nutrition, cutting-edge training techniques, advanced medical care, and a reliable food supply. These modern advantages give us the chance to improve our health in ways their environment simply couldn’t.
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