Humans have been civilised only within the last 10,000 years or so. For most of our million years on earth, we have been nomads and hunters. We moved with the game, walking and sometimes running long distances, setting up and breaking camp.
As societies grew and flourished, methods of growing crops and other vegetable food sources were introduced, and agriculture was born. The vast majority of the population were land workers; even as recently as 1900, 60 per cent of the American population lived on farms. Tilling the soil, planting and harvesting the various crops and cutting wood, all involved lifting, pushing, carrying, walking and other forms of exertion. Life was extremely hard and there was little or no time for relaxation.
Today the situation is vastly different. Anyone from a bygone age stepping into the twenty-first century would be struck by the extent to which we have managed to eliminate physical activity from our daily routine. A century ago, a third of the work done in farms and factories was based on muscle power, compared with only about one per cent today.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, we have witnessed the transformation of an essentially rural society into a population of town and city dwellers whose lifestyle bears little resemblance to that of their forbears. Modern technology enables us to live with the absolute minimum of physical exercise. The advent of the car is the most obvious example, but there are countless other areas in which technology has left its mark. Lifts and escalators in offices and shops remove the need to negotiate stairs, we sit in our armchairs and flick from one TV station to another, we spend hours sitting in front of a computer screen ‘surfing’ and we can order our groceries online . In the US there are even golf courses that require their members to use an electric cart rather than walk! The paradox is that our soft and feeble bodies are crying out for more physical activity, whilst society is engaged in the business of ensuring that we have to do less – with potentially serious health consequences, such as obesity.
The consequences of inactivity
Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease. It is also related to many other preventable diseases, particularly obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) and lower back pain. Some cancers, particularly of the breast and bowel, appear to be related to a sedentary lifestyle.
By taking regular, moderate physical exercise, say 30-45 minutes of brisk walking on three or more occasions per week we can reduce this risk. Overweight people can lose weight with a graded walking programme and for others, walking is a wonderful way to help weight loss and fitness, and maintain weight.
