exercise | walk this way

Overview

Exercise has been proven to reduce chronic body inflammation, optimize cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic system functioning, and strengthen muscles and bones. It also improves mental processing and elevates mood. So if exercise is so good for us, why do so few Americans perform the daily activity our bodies require for optimal health? Surveys have consistently identified 3 primary reasons: 1.) people believe they don’t have time to exercise, 2.) exercise requires expensive equipment or gym memberships, or 3.) exercise is too physically uncomfortable.

The Mismatch Method exercise plan addresses all of these concerns. Even if you have an inactive lifestyle, you’ll find the plan easy to start and more enjoyable than you imagined. All that is required is that you perform 30 minutes of aerobic activity daily—that’s it. This can be biking, swimming, jogging, running, or taking an aerobic exercise class, however, we prefer and recommend the simple act of walking. This basic exercise can be broken up into sessions to accommodate busy schedules—the health benefits will be the same. 

Why Walking?

Homo sapiens is the only species of primate that walks upright as its primary means of locomotion. Scientists believe this evolutionary adaptation to bipedalism occurred to reduce the energy needs of early humans. Significantly less effort is required to walk on two legs than is needed to walk on four. This meant our ancient ancestors required less food to power their bodies than other animals—highly beneficial when competing against other creatures for food. Bipedalism also allowed early humans to carry foraged resources like fruit, vegetables, and firewood to their living shelters. Because walking is a part of the human evolutionary design, it is the perfect physical activity to reduce chronic inflammation and provide additional health benefits to our bodies.

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Our ancient ancestors were hunter-gatherers who averaged five to seven miles of travel in a single day (roughly 10-15,000 steps) while foraging. Physiological studies have determined that Americans average 5,000 steps per day. This means that the daily activity of modern humans is not aligned with our evolutionary design. At a minimum, most of us should add exercise to our daily routine that doubles our current physical activity. The Mismatch Method recommends you walk for 30 minutes daily—the equivalent of 5,000 steps—to bring your daily activity level closer to that of paleolithic humans.

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Walking is the single most easy, accessible, achievable, inexpensive, and versatile form of exercise. It requires no equipment, no gym fees, no special clothing, and almost everyone can perform it. Physiological research conducted with walkers who average 100 to 150 minutes per week (that's between 5,000 and 10,00 steps if you have a Fitbit) found they had reduced levels of hormonal dysfunction and inflammation, and were at a significantly reduced risk of developing serious disease. While walking is our recommended form of exercise, other aerobic activities can provide the same health benefits if you want to add more variety to your daily workouts (for example biking, swimming, rowing, hiking, jogging or running).

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Walking is the most convenient form of exercise and is ideally aligned with your evolutionary design. You can walk at any time of the day that works for your schedule, including during daily lunch breaks. Those with busy schedules can break up the 30 minutes into smaller sessions and still receive all the health benefits. In a recent survey 65% of our members say they use 30 minutes of there lunch hour to day their daily walk, often with co-workers. It's also the perfect physical activity to perform in the morning or evening with family members or friends. Keep in mind that headphones can help make your time walking fly by while listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks, or simply have a phone call with a friend or relative.