Among the many controversies revolving around the human body, one of the most common is how the human form was developed. While there have been numerous theories on this concept, some scientists believe they have found a definitive answer: Endurance running.
It is believed that the ability to run has developed the human anatomy, which evolved from ape-like human ancestors that existed over 2 million years ago. In fact, scientists are convinced that the origin of running has shaped the human body into what it is today.
Man Over Beast
Scientists are not certain why natural selection favored humans with the ability to run long distances, but some possibilities include:
To further clarify these findings, scientists studied 26 anatomical characteristics of the human body that improve the ability to run. Some of these traits include:
Medi Lexicon November 18, 2004
I found this article on how running differentiates us from the apes quite fascinating and thought many would enjoy it.
You see, I have been running for nearly 40 years, as it is my primary form of exercise and a major part of my life. However, it is important to understand that just because I find running personally useful that does not mean most people should too. In fact, nearly anyone with a knee injury is asking for trouble if they choose running as their primary exercise.
Further, one of the key principles I teach is to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If your body will not allow you to exercise either due to pain or worsening of your underlying condition then you have no practical option but to honor your body's signals and not exercise. Even though your body desperately needs the exercise to improve, you will only get worse if you violate your current limitations. So you may have to start with as little as one or two minutes a day.
Most people are also extremely time-deprived, so I ask them to stop directing their limited time to strength training until they are able to optimize their weight. If they have time left over after investing 90 minutes in a cardio program then I encourage them to continue their weight-training program.
Additionally, most people are clueless about the exercise intensity and just don't understand that walking for 90 minutes isn't a sufficiently intense exercise. I explain to my patients that they need to go hard enough so that they are having a difficult time talking to someone and then drop back half a notch. If one can easily carry on a conversation with someone next to them they are clearly going to slow to generate the aerobic benefits that exercise is capable of doing.
Apply the TOTAL HEALTH Program, and as your body gradually improves so will your tolerance to exercise tolerance. Therefore, continue to push yourself until you reach that daily 90-minute level.