What does it involve?
Thousands of years before the invention of gyms and high-tech fitness equipment, human beings were naturally athletic. Nature and the environment in which our ancestors lived provided every necessary means they required for staying muscular, toned and lean. Without the need for heart-rate monitors or treadmills, they kept in shape by running through forests, climbing trees and hurdling or bounding over every obstacle in their path. With this functional approach to fitness (coined “evolutionary fitness”) you will learn to exercise in the way your body was designed to move in everyday life. Each element of the approach incorporates natural movement such as crawling, jumping, lifting and climbing – with variations in terrain, direction, intensity and skill. One minute you may be lifting logs, the next you could be hanging from the branch of a tree. It is fun, but there is more to it than enjoyment. As your muscles and mind are being taken unawares, they are being challenged in every exercise. Muscles that have been underused for years will be reintroduced to movements our ancestors found natural.
It won’t be easy – you will be expected to push yourself to new extremes in every session – but your efforts will be rewarded. Your cardiovascular fitness will soar, your muscle definition will be enhanced and your strength will increase. Over time, these exercises will help to heal and prevent many of the aches and ailments we assume are part and parcel of modern living – back pain, bad posture and knee pain are just a few examples.
Above all, your perspective on what fitness entails will change: monotonous runs will be broken up with explosive exercises, and fitness barriers (both physical and mental) will become irresistible challenges.
You’ll love this if …
You crave the outdoors and want the foundations for all-round, lifelong fitness. For many of us, it’s not unusual for 24 hours to pass without feeling the wind on our cheeks or the sun on our backs. We socialise, work, shop and even exercise indoors, but research has proven that humans have an innate attraction to nature (called biophilia), and that reverting to our ancestor’s habits of being outside more often can boost our mental as well as physical health.
Furthermore, UK charity the Mental Health Foundation says that outdoor activity gives a sense of accomplishment and euphoria that people might not experience from a session at the gym. This outdoor fitness plan therefore appeals to all the senses and will ultimately boost your self-confidence as you begin to appreciate what your body can achieve.
This isn’t for you if …
You don’t like pushing yourself to the point of puffing and sweating. Make no mistake: this is a strenuous workout. Similarly, this isn’t an approach for those who aren’t prepared to expose themselves to, and embrace, the elements – whatever the weather.
Keep in mind that you will be required to exercise in public and the programme does involve some unusual activities. If you’re remotely self-conscious or likely to be put off by inquisitive glances from passers-by, this may take some getting used to.
Motivate yourself by …
▶ Realising that you don’t always need to work out in the conventional sense of the term. All movement is good: crawling after your toddler, playing in the park with your children, carrying bags of shopping home on foot …
▶ Acknowledging you don’t need loads of time to fit in rigorous exercise. A 10-minute run around the block at full pelt or a series of short, fast sprints with little recovery is as effective as a 90-minute slog in the gym at lower intensity.
▶ Working with other people. Although this regime can be performed alone, having a group of friends around might motivate you to stay out there a little longer. Try asking each person to demonstrate and lead a different exercise until you’ve covered a complete circuit.
▶ Trying to come up with a new exercise each time you head outside – there are no limits to what you can try. Create new and challenging ways to test your own fitness.
Source: Read Full Article