Some fitness hucksters believe that certain
approaches work because they resemble the
activities of our forefathers. Nonsense, says
Daniel Lieberman, Ph.D., a professor of human
evolutionary biology at Harvard. “Prescrib-
ing fitness and diet regimens based solely
on what our ancestors did is rife with logical
problems...We also evolved to sometimes
fight, lie, get anxious, age, and die.”
In fact, science suggests that you can get
healthier, stronger, and fitter by following
any plan regularly. The CDC recommends
150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity
aerobic activity, along with twice-weekly
muscle strengthening sessions.
It’s not a high bar, but 76 percent of men
don’t reach it, the CDC reports. That’s despite
the fact that “moderate exercise” covers a
broad array of activities, from jogging and
yoga to martial arts and rock climbing. It even
includes some activities many jocks might
consider too easy. “Brisk walking on its own
is great for health,” says David Katz, M.D., Ph.D.,
director of Yale’s Prevention Research Center.
The best exercise, he says, is the exercise
people actually do.
Seek Simplicity and Proximity
The simplest rule: do something every day.
That’s not easy. For documentary filmmaker
George Kunhardt, 29, that lesson came a bit
later in life. “I was an athlete in high school,
but when I got to college I partied a lot.” By
the time he started his career, his weight was
normal but his body was soft.
That’s when Kunhardt discovered a Cross-
Fit gym near his office. The key variables to
its appeal were proximity and simplicity: He
could walk there and do the workout that was
posted on the blackboard. Now Kunhardt
trains six days a week; his body is harder and
he can bang out sets of 40 unbroken pullups.
He’s rediscovered both his competitive fire
and his love of fitness. “It’s my number one
stress reliever. When I’m at the gym, I go to
my happy place,” he says.
So if you simply do anything active for 30
to 45 minutes a day, says Dr. Katz, your health
will benefit. You will also likely enhance
your quality of life and longevity. Of course,
strategically varying the intensity of your
activity will impact your results. That’s why
we have Pillar 3.