“Each fresh peak ascended
Teaches something.”
-Sir Martin Conway
All movement is good movement…
Yet some forms of movement are instrumental for us achieve our peak potential. For the purpose of longevity, the human body has been evolutionarily adapted for moderate amounts of high-intensity movement, in conjunction with high amounts of low intensity sustained movement to optimize resiliency and cardiorespiratory fitness, in addition to flexibility, balance and strength. In the Stone Age, the unpredictability of the hunt closely resembles modern day high-intensity interval training (HIIT), with the pace dictated by the prey, with speeds varying from a slow walk to a full sprint for 20–30 seconds over challenging terrain. This was combined with aerobic low intensity trekking, typically 10–15 km a day, which is roughly equivalent to 10,000 steps per day. As compared to continuous endurance training, evidence shows HIIT promotes greater weight loss (especially belly fat), better control of blood sugar, reduction in resting heart rate with improved heart structure and function.
Our ancestors exercised out of necessity as a means to live, whereas most modern occupations involve mental work indoors. Sadly, most people over 30 years old will never attempt to sprint again. Physical activity is now a personal responsibility. Our prehistoric ancestors engaged in a variety of functional “cross-training” activities naturally out of necessity through manual labor, such as building shelter or carrying water, firewood, or the day’s hunt. Daily exertion was of a multi-faceted nature, which entailed constructing, climbing, leaping, and digging that augmented fitness across several domains. Cross training has been long hailed as a superior form of exercise widely utilized by fitness coaches to condition all levels of athletes. Mix in sprints, plyometrics, or rucking (walking with a weighted backpack on variable terrain) for muscular and cardiovascular health, with each peak teaching our body to function at its best.
To understand what type and how much exercise is ideal for us as a species, it is important to train both of our energy systems that have evolved since the hunter-gatherer days. The first system uses fat to fuel us for continuous low levels of aerobic activity like long walks, hikes, or bike rides. The second type of energy system we are blessed with evolved for our ancestors to perform short bouts of intense, quick intervals. The brief burst of this energy system is a useful adaptation for modern man, for cranking through the gears to the peak, or pumping out your last rep at the gym. Nearly all physical activities and exercises can be modified into a high intensity workout so do what you enjoy and do it faster for brief bursts. You will have more fun, more time, and a more lean and sculpted physique to show for it as you HIIT you peak!