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Hunter-gatherers’ Active lifestyles make the rest of us look shamefully lazy

As you tick off another sedentary day spent sitting in your office chair then lounging on your couch, it might strike you: human beings are surely “designed” to move more than this, right? We’re actually designed to move a whole lot more, suggests ongoing research into the lifestyles of hunter-gatherers. For a while now, anthropologists have been studying the Hadza — a tribe of less than 1000 from East Africa whose lives provide a window into how our ancestors lived hundreds of thousands of years ago

 We’ve already learned a lot from the Hadza about how might have slept and how our bodies evolved to efficiently burn the calories we eat, and new research suggests the “natural” amount of physical activity we need for good health.  A team of anthropologists — the University of Arizona’s David Raichlen, Yale University’s Brian Wood and Hunter College’s Herman Pontzer — strapped heart-rate monitors and GPS trackers to the Hadza, then analysed how far and fast they travelled each day.

Most days, the men walked briskly on the hunt for game animals, while the women foraged for and prepared wild foods.On average, the Hadza achieved about 75 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day.

To put that number in context, Australian health authorities recommend we engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week.Most of us living modern Western lifestyles don’t meet those targets. In Australia, 60 percent of adults do less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day — way below the Hadza.That matters because the Hadza have a super low risk of cardiovascular disease, including low rates of high blood pressure and blood cholesterol, unlike us in the West stricken by the so-called diseases of civilisation.

Another noteworthy finding about the Hadza’s physical activity: it doesn’t decline with age. The older Hadza (it’s not uncommon for them to live into their 70s and even 80s) stayed as active as younger generations — unlike our society, where physical activity drops off sharply as we age.Raichlen acknowledges the Hadza’s heart health is likely influenced by other factors too (such as their diets — most continue to forage and rely on wild foods), but says studying their lifestyles bolsters the obvious-but-overlooked theory that aerobic activity is a must for health.

“The overarching hypothesis is that our bodies evolved within a highly active context, and that explains why physical activity seems to improve physiological health today,” he said in a statement.He believes studying the Hadza gives us an insight into the physical activity levels that drove the evolution of healthy human hearts, muscles and brains.“The answer is not likely 30 minutes a day of walking on a treadmill,” he said. “It’s more like 75-plus minutes a day.”
Read more …./coach.nine.com.au

 

http prod.static9.net .au media Network Images 2016 11 29 11 01 161129coachhadza1

Hunter-gatherers' Active lifestyles make the rest of us look shamefully lazy

As you tick off another sedentary day spent sitting in your office chair then lounging on your couch, it might strike you: human beings are surely “designed” to move more than this, right? We’re actually designed to move a whole lot more, suggests ongoing research into the lifestyles of hunter-gatherers. For a while now, anthropologists have been studying the Hadza — a tribe of less than 1000 from East Africa whose lives provide a window into how our ancestors lived hundreds of thousands of years ago

 We’ve already learned a lot from the Hadza about how might have slept and how our bodies evolved to efficiently burn the calories we eat, and new research suggests the “natural” amount of physical activity we need for good health.  A team of anthropologists — the University of Arizona’s David Raichlen, Yale University’s Brian Wood and Hunter College’s Herman Pontzer — strapped heart-rate monitors and GPS trackers to the Hadza, then analysed how far and fast they travelled each day.

Most days, the men walked briskly on the hunt for game animals, while the women foraged for and prepared wild foods.On average, the Hadza achieved about 75 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day.

To put that number in context, Australian health authorities recommend we engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week.Most of us living modern Western lifestyles don’t meet those targets. In Australia, 60 percent of adults do less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day — way below the Hadza.That matters because the Hadza have a super low risk of cardiovascular disease, including low rates of high blood pressure and blood cholesterol, unlike us in the West stricken by the so-called diseases of civilisation.

Another noteworthy finding about the Hadza’s physical activity: it doesn’t decline with age. The older Hadza (it’s not uncommon for them to live into their 70s and even 80s) stayed as active as younger generations — unlike our society, where physical activity drops off sharply as we age.Raichlen acknowledges the Hadza’s heart health is likely influenced by other factors too (such as their diets — most continue to forage and rely on wild foods), but says studying their lifestyles bolsters the obvious-but-overlooked theory that aerobic activity is a must for health.

“The overarching hypothesis is that our bodies evolved within a highly active context, and that explains why physical activity seems to improve physiological health today,” he said in a statement.He believes studying the Hadza gives us an insight into the physical activity levels that drove the evolution of healthy human hearts, muscles and brains.“The answer is not likely 30 minutes a day of walking on a treadmill,” he said. “It’s more like 75-plus minutes a day.”
Read more …./coach.nine.com.au

 

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Post-Workout Behavior, Why It Matters

Do wonders for your workout.

Follow these after-exercise tips … Often, we feed the “fitness meter” its daily investment only to exit the Center and overcompensate for our healthy activity. Suddenly, we may feel entitled to eat that cheeseburger and fries, followed up with a couple hours on the couch watching mindless TV. Use your post-workout actions to enhance your fitness efforts. A healthy lifestyle goes beyond a daily exercise session. Follow these tips to maximize your fitness efforts:

EAT Well.

An intense workout does not justify a junk-food binge or even a big meal. We often assume we burned more calories than we actually did. An effective solution: Focus less on food’s calories and more on how much activity it actually takes to burn off that food. For example, a popular fast-food grilled chicken ranch BLT sandwich (approximately 440 calories) would take a 154-pound, 5’10” male about an hour of weightlifting to burn off. One post-workout indulgence can cancel the benefits of an entire fitness session. After your workout, keep the healthy vibe going with a nutritious snack or meal packed with the protein and carbs needed to replace essential nutrients used during exercise. Smart post-workout food choices also help the body recover better from the physical exertion expended—and increase your fitness success.

Rehydrate.

Water consumption is essential before, during, and after a workout. Experts suggest drinking 24 ounces of fluid for each pound lost during exercise. This can be determined by weighing yourself before and after a workout.

Drink beyond your thirst. Thirst is not always an accurate indicator of hydration. Monitor urine frequency and color to assure you are consuming enough fluids. After an intense or lengthy workout, consider a sports drink to replenish lost electrolytes as well.

 

Stretch.

Your future self will thank you a thousand times for stretching regularly, especially after exercise. Those who skip this essential part of their workout, including young athletes, live to regret it. The negative effects appear in joints and muscles later in life, causing everything from decreased range-of-motion to chronic aches.

Schedule 10 to 15 minutes at the end of your workout to complete a full-body stretch. Muscles will be warm and flexible then, allowing for easy, deep stretching. This post-workout habit helps prevent injuries, and maintains healthy joints and muscles. It also acts as an overall cooldown for the body, which helps the heart and circulatory system transition.

Keep Moving .

How we spend time beyond the workout has a significant impact on health and weight loss goals. Research continues to reveal the importance of movement throughout the day. Physical activity helps burn calories and improve overall health. Formal fitness is a positive and essential element of a healthy lifestyle. Yet, the benefits can be negated by sedentary habits the rest of the day.

Regular exercise definitely improves your health. However, avid exercisers can unintentionally increase their risk for heart disease, obesity, and other health issues by how they spend the rest of their waking hours. By staying mobile, you improve your health and continue to burn a bunch of calories beyond what you accomplish at the Center. Easy, ongoing movement also helps keep joints and muscles flexible.

Don’t sabotage your workout efforts. Complement them! Follow through fitness with the healthy habits your body deserves.

 

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