Born To Move, Part I
Many people struggle with developing a consistent healthy exercise routine. Why is it so difficult for millions to get the basic level of activity they need? Despite widespread education and knowledge about exercise, health and wellness, some basic health markers, like Body Mass Index (BMI), continue to trend in the wrong direction.
By the end of 2020, 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women will be overweight or obese
People who are overweight have a BMI of 25 to 29, people who are obese have a BMI of 30 or greater. 77 percent of men and 53 percent of women will have either diabetes or pre-diabetes. These numbers are staggering, and, quite honestly, perplexing to me.
Many fitness professionals, Instagram “gurus” and self-proclaimed experts try to sell you a program - a set of exercise (sometime founded in science, sometimes not) principles re-packaged in branded language. While many of these programs can be beneficial and are conceptually well-intentioned, they often run dry quickly and leave you where you started. This is not my aim.
There’s a gap between what we know to be good for us and what we actually do. The evidence behind the benefits of exercise - for both strength training & cardiovascular training - is overwhelming. I’m not here to convince of you this. I do not have a one-size-fits all program.
Rather, my aim is to educate my readers on the biological & evolutionary basis for exercise, and why harnessing your basic psychology and understanding some fundamental laws of nature is the key to unlocking a healthy lifestyle - not just for your short term goals - but for the rest of your life.
With over 10 years consulting and assessing clients, tens of thousand of hours physically training these clients and guiding them through exercise programs, which in some cases have lasted for several years, I have countless examples of what has been successful - and what has not.
I truly believe we are born to move. The first and most basic example of this truth lies in the biology and physiology behind muscle, bone & tendon growth. The best example of this was a brilliant 19th century discovery called Wolff's Law, developed by the German anatomist and surgeon Julius Wolff.
"Wolff's law states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads under which it is placed.[1] If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading."
When I first learned of this law, I was awestruck at its simplicity and at its practical application to exercise. Yet, it is often forgotten in our pursuit to achieve maximal results with as little effort as possible. Put in another way: In order for your body to adapt favorably (i.e., achieve strength and growth of muscle and bone tissue), you need to undergo a direct stress, or force, for that adaptation to occur.
Over the next several blog posts I hope to expand upon this idea. As I mentioned previously, I do not claim to be the guru with all the answers. I am simply exploring some fundamental scientific truths as I see them applied in today's world.
I hope you'll join me on this journey, and provide feedback and discussion along the way!
