Why have we evolved to avoid exercise? With Harvard Professor Daniel Lieberman (E263)
The High Performance Podcast
High Performance
4.8 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 3 June 2024
⏱️ 65 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, Jake meets with Daniel Lieberman, a renowned researcher in human evolutionary biology and a Professor at Harvard University, to discuss the profound impact of exercise on our health and longevity.
Daniel delves into the evidence revealing how just a moderate amount of physical activity can significantly lower our risk of death from numerous diseases, including cancer. He challenges the notion of exercise as a modern demand, highlighting its importance for human well-being throughout history.
He also shares personal strategies for staying active, emphasising the social and enjoyable aspects of physical fitness. Daniel also highlights the physiological benefits of exercise, from combating inflammation to promoting mental well-being.
Touching on the importance of sleep, Daniel explains how society can better support healthy lifestyles through public education from a young age. He discusses that improving our exercise habits and diet could drastically enhance our quality of life and reduce chronic diseases.
With insights grounded in evolutionary biology and supported by compelling evidence, this episode challenges us to rethink our relationship with exercise and prioritise health in a sedentary world.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | 75% of the time when somebody walks into a doctor's office, it's for a disease that's technically classified as preventable. |
| 0:08.0 | We're mismatched to being inactive. Our bodies never evolved to be inactive. We evolved to avoid physical activity |
| 0:16.2 | when it wasn't necessary or wasn't rewarded. We shouldn't blame and shame people |
| 0:21.4 | for struggling to exercise. they're just completely normal human |
| 0:25.2 | beings doing what we evolved to do. That is the incredible Dan Lieberman and this is |
| 0:31.7 | high performance, the show that unlocks the minds of the most fascinating |
| 0:35.3 | people on the planet. |
| 0:37.1 | I'm Jake Humphrey and on this show we learn from the story, struggles and successes of our |
| 0:41.5 | guests, allowing us all to find our own version of high performance. |
| 0:45.7 | And today we talk about the story of human evolution with Dan Lieberman who is a paleo anthropologist at Harvard University. |
| 0:55.8 | If you don't even know what that means, all you need to know is that you are not a product |
| 1:00.4 | of your upbringing. |
| 1:02.0 | You are not just as old as you are today. You are part. of your |
| 1:03.7 | Up bringing you are not just as old as you are today. You are part of the evolution of the human species and Dan is an expert in this in fact he wrote an incredible book called |
| 1:12.1 | Exercised which really lays bare the things that we should be doing today |
| 1:16.6 | based not on who we are today but on what we've evolved from. |
| 1:20.3 | Honestly this is such a fascinating conversation so let's get to it and welcome the incredible Dan Lieberman to high performance. |
| 1:28.0 | However, first, a few key messages from our valued partners, allowing us to offer you this content for free. |
| 1:37.0 | Before we get going just to let you know that you can now enjoy a free |
| 1:45.0 | content, exclusive master classes and high performance originals. |
| 1:48.0 | Just download the high performance app from the App Store. |
| 1:52.0 | This episode is brought to you by Hule, and you've heard of Hule, right? |
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