basic Primitive Blueprint Movement Rule #3: Move slowly and often.
Although people often discuss humans being suited for endurance running, sprinting, or strength activities, the main characteristics of humans are: walking. Humans are the best walkers on Earth. We walk upright, survey our environment with stereoscopic vision that allows us to see far into the distance, and have opposable thumbs that allow us to carry tools and weapons while moving.
The best evidence from studies of hunter-gatherer cultures around the world suggests that 10 to 15 miles per day was the average walking range for humans throughout history. We conquered Earth by walking across the planet. Walking has undoubtedly made us who we are today.
We know that our ancestors spent an average of several hours each day moving at what today’s exercise physiologists describe as “low-level aerobic rates.” They hunted, foraged, foraged, wandered, scouted, migrated, climbed, and crawled. This lower level of activity allows the genes to build a stronger network of capillaries (blood vessels) to fuel each muscle cell, allowing it to store excess food as fat, as well as easily converting stored fat back into energy. It relied primarily on stored fat for energy rather than exogenous carbohydrates. Note that they did not go out and “jog” at 80% of their maximum heart rate for extended periods of time, as conventional wisdom suggests we do today for “cardio.”
It’s important to recognize that Long walks aren’t about traditional exercise, exercise, or burning calories..
Long walks help lubricate tissues and joints, clear lymph fluid, and maintain your body’s ability to burn fat for steady, even energy throughout the day.
People who walk the most have the lowest risk of mortality and age-related diseases, including dementia, diabetes, and cancer, and for older adults, natural walking speed is a strong predictor of mortality risk. The faster you walk, the more you walk, the longer and better you live. Moving frequently is essentially a baseline of health and fitness.
Today, we do about 2 to 5 hours of low-level aerobic activity per week, including walking, hiking, light biking, and swimming. Ideally, if possible, you should find time to go barefoot or wear foot supports as little as possible. Requires low levels of activity (especially if you are chained to a desk every day). The combined effect is to increase capillary perfusion, fat burning, and overall integration of strength and flexibility.
If you’re looking for a walking goal, aim to walk 10,000 steps a day in addition to other physical activities like exercise, sprinting, or cardio. but, The real goal is constant movement. This may include more joint efforts, such as long walks, dog walking, after-dinner walks, backpacking, gardening, playing with children, or choosing the stairs instead of the elevator. All of these activities contribute to a solid standard of fitness, making more intense workouts easier and more effective.
Almost anything can be an aerobic activity. Naturally, the fitter your body, the more intensity of movement it can handle, while taking slower movements into account. The key is to do things that feel slow and easy throughout the day, like wandering around town on a flat path or power walking up a mountain.
Frequent movement at a slow pace does not necessarily have to be walking. It could be biking, swimming, rowing, or any type of movement that takes you from one place to another.
One good way to gauge whether the movement you’re doing is at a “lower aerobic rate” is to track your heart rate. If you can maintain a heart rate of 180 minus your age, you are ‘moving slowly and often.’ This intensity is not stressful, does not increase cortisol, and primarily burns fat for energy.
If you don’t want to track your heart rate, a conversation can help you estimate if your movements are slow and low enough in intensity. If you can speak easily without taking a breath, you are moving slowly.
Accumulating as many slow movements as possible throughout the day is one of the most important primal blueprint laws. This is the foundation of fitness and health.
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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and is not intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring in your pursuit of a healthy and fulfilling life.
