Читать книгу The Outdoor Citizen - John Judge - Страница 11

2

Fitness and Food

Our ancestors used to walk everywhere in search of food, collecting plants and berries, hunting, and fishing. The exercise was built into their lifestyle and dwarfed the amount of exercise we might squeeze into a quick gym visit today. In today’s developed nations, food is far more easily accessible, and we have other modes of transportation besides traveling on foot. But while the advances provide a cushy lifestyle, the resulting decrease in exercise has negatively affected our health.

A 2018 study by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that one in four adults worldwide—27.5 percent of adults—­­don’t get enough exercise according to WHO’s physical activity guidelines of 75 minutes of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.66 The study, which was based on data from 358 surveys and included 1.9 million participants from 168 countries, representing 96 percent of the world’s population, found that the problem of inactivity needed to be “urgently addressed.”

The health benefits of exercise have been well documented. The author of the WHO study noted that physical activity “[leads to a] lower risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and breast and colon cancer . . . [has] positive effects on mental health, delays the onset of dementia, and can help the maintenance of a healthy weight.” A seemingly endless sea of medical studies and journals expand on this. According to the Mayo Clinic, sufficient exercise has been proven to boost high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and decrease unhealthy triglycerides. This lowers our risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke, as well as type 2 diabetes, many types of cancer, and arthritis. Exercise also boosts energy and endurance, supports better sleep, improves mood, and supports mental well-being.67 According to a study in the Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences, “feelings of anger, depression, tension, and confusion all significantly decreased and vigor increased”68 following outdoor activity.