Lost - The Exercise Habit

I've been wondering lately about the effectiveness of exercising.

If you look at life a couple of generations ago, people worked physically, but they weren't power-lifting and running miles upon miles to stay fit and trim.

So what were our ancestors doing to remain in good health and shape?

First, let’s not neglect the fact that cars weren’t everywhere and that those who lived in towns were often able to walk wherever they needed to go. The days of small town living with a grocer's shop in walking distance are long gone—suburbia is here.

What else did our predecessors do?

Not only did they walk, but they rode bicycles and generally did more outside than we do today. Computers weren’t even dreamed of and televisions didn’t rule peoples' days and nights like they do now.

They also ate less than we do today. Have you noticed that portions are getting larger and larger as prices go up? People really want their ‘money’s worth’ when it comes to eating out, and we’ve become very accustomed to large plates mounded with food.

Our great-grandparents wouldn’t have dreamed of eating until they were fit to drop all the time. Quite often, there wasn’t even enough food to go around.

So all of this brings me to my ultimate question:

Is Going To A Gym And Working Out Really Necessary?

Moving on from our ancestors, there are examples of modern day communities who seem to keep fit simply by adhering to a particular lifestyle.

For example, the Amish and Mennonite communities found in the United States, don’t go to the gym, and they won’t be seen jogging the roads at 5:30 a.m. Yet they are typically more fit than many personal trainers? How can this be?

They walk. They move. They bend. They work. They eat when they’re hungry, stop when they’re full, and enjoy a simple lifestyle. They have no computers or televisions to sit and stare at all day (or night), and they don’t have washing machines and dryers to do their laundry chores.

Think I’m making this up? Try washing all of your clothes by hand on a washboard, wringing each piece out, and then lugging a large basket of wet things to a clothesline to hang out. You’ll build muscles you didn’t even know you had, although I’m not suggesting that everyone should give up their washing machines and dryers!

But could it be that simple? Could just going about our daily lives and moving more be the answer to physical fitness? I think that, added to a sensible eating plan, could very well be the nirvana to the quest for fitness.

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