Exercise through the Evolutionary Lens

Some of the most revealing discoveries I learned in reviewing neuroscience and exercise over the years are about stress, the value of sprinting, the aging process, and building the brain. But there has been no more humbling—and thrilling—revelation for me than what evolution has given us. As a medical doctor and clinical scientist, it’s easy for me to see the body through an evolutionary lens, but to realize the full impact of the gifts that we have developed over the millennia has instilled a whole new reverence.

When approaching exercise in this light, we are able to access the gifts that we have. Most of what we know in human biology starts with us learning about our predecessors, the plants and animals that came before us. For many of us our physiology research begins with our cutting open frogs in biology class. Along the way we hopefully grasp genetics, cause and effect of toxins, training, learning, and navigating social networks. Nature has been our guide and we need to learn to access and develop our evolved internal supply of repair and growth mechanisms.
Prolonging life, or being the evolutionary victor, is all about managing fuel. We developed our human genes on the plains as hunter-gatherers for about 400,000 years or so but in the last 10,000 years we have zoomed ahead of our genes, radically so in the past 50 years. We have won everything our genes were looking to help us with. We have sprinted to the finish line and I hope we do not drown in our own glory. Today we have the ability to control our lives to such a dramatic extent, that it is with danger that I look toward the future. In short, we’re ignoring our genes. Our genes are there to support us moving all the time, preparing for long stretches of famine, and unpredictable changes in our food supply. This doesn’t happen much anymore and we are too well fed and, making matters worse, too sedentary. We’ve become cyber slaves to an easy life, and we don’t have to move much at all. Our clickers and videos entertain us and keep us in our seats and we have become too sedentary and solitary, my two big soapbox issues. It is easy to retreat and take it easy. This blog will try to be an updated forum on new studies, personal experiences and thoughts that we can all share.

Comments

[Rob T]

Dr Ratey,
Almost finished with *Spark*. What an excellent book! I'm writing because I'm taking some time off in between undergraduate and medical school. I will be running an exercise group at a clubhouse for people with chronic mental illness and was wondering if you could point me in the direction of others who have run similar groups so I can learn what works best. I would appreciate any help you can provide.
Sincerely,
Rob

[John Simmons]

Dr. Ratey --

can you explain why you emphasize sprinting in your recommendations?

JOhn Simmons
jsimm@cruzio.com

[Christine]

I am a physical education instructor at an elementary school. I have had three extremely bright, yet very autistic students over the last 4 years that have made similar comments to me and have reacted similarily to cardiovascular endurance exercise. All three enjoy playing and exercising to a certain level, but they all hit a certain point, much earlier than their peers, where they stop and hold the front of their heads and will not continue. One of the students told me that he thinks somebody should invent some kind of helmet that he can wear to stop the pressure...make it stop when he runs.(2nd grader) I have attributed it to some of the extreme ways in which austistic students can react to certain situations, but after attending your lecture today I question if that is right. Any thoughts?

[Total Fitness Revieew]

Just like everyone else John, I am fascinated by your research, keep it up! Great reading everytime.

[Joye Wells]

Dr. Ratey: I am trying to research exercise addiction and wondered if you had any advice regarding books, articles, etc. regarding this. I have a 17 year old who has been running long distances for several years. She has almost no body fat and her endurance has recently decreased to the point that she is unable to finish her races. Her diet is healthy but she does not gain weight, even though her coach has asked her not to run for two weeks in order to try to put some weight on. She is an emotional wreck over not being able to run. This is affecting her studies and her social life. I am concerned about the potential for an eating disorder as well as clinical depression. If you know of any resources that I could consult, I would really appreciate it.
Thank you,
Joye Wells

[Mike Krpan]

I am also a personal fitness trainer located in Corona Del Mar, CA. Have incorporated your "evolutionary lens" angle in my rhetoric to my clients. I think I am a bit better at reaching them having read Spark. I might say: "...turn on those genes that produce HGH...". Feels good to say that knowing its not an embellishment.

[Karla Talanian]

Dear Dr. Ratey,
I was so thrilled to read your work. As a personal trainer I try to impart these ideas to my clients every day. Exercise is about so much more than losing weight. It is an essential part of living, and a regular program can improve so many aspects of one's life. As a mother of three kids, two who have ADHD, I cannot thank you enough for verifying what I have been telling them (albeit with less success than my clients!). Exercise is so necessary for them - especially - to feel better without medication. Thank you!

[Thomas Hardin]

I await with great enthusiasum reading "Spark".
As a Special Educator, Physical Educator, Triathlete for the past 17 years - I have incorporated morning physical activity (both aerobic and anaerobic)into the curriculum of my students.
I have been in the past assigned to a secondary school position which included students with varied levels of ability. Nearly all students suffered from a form of ADD/ADHD. Most were angry, volatile, and frequently violent due to abusive circumstances in their young lives.
Students were exposed daily to weather dependant indoor/outdoor physical activity for a minimum of one hour. The majority of the aerobic activity was staff supervised for motivation and encouragment to increase participation; however, the specific activity was most often in the form of a student directed game involving both moderate as well as intense bouts of running. The final 10 minutes were regularly focused on varied strength building exercises.
The conclusion of the mornings activity was immediately followed by Mathematics sessions and activities of as long as 90 minutes! The results over time increased student focused work production, reduced explosive volatility, and violence. Affectively, students were more positive, and gregarious.
I am only sorry that I did not record empirical data, and observations.
Students were never promised physical activity would eliminate their problems - only that they would gain valuable strategies in their perceptions of, and organized problem-solving modalities with problems in virtually all difficulties they faced.
In the end - my only documentation of the process resulted in a "whole lot of math, and big smiles!"

[Bucky]

There may be little new under the sun but Dr. Ratey seems to have the "presents" of mind to bring it to us in a compelling, accessible way. I plan to "run" out and buy SPARK.

The Public Radio show yesterday was excellent. Thank you.

[Bill Barbic]

Dear Dr. Ratey & Site Guests:

I called Wisconsin Public Radio this morning (3-6-08) and enjoyed learning about SPARK. I am a 65 year old in a distance learning program for a PhD in Natural Health. I am interested in any ideas anyone might have for a dissertation on the topic of the mind-body connection. My college does not allow any human or animal experiments, so any suggestions should take that into account. Thank you and best wishes.

Bill at libra9@earthlink.net