Did you know that our hunter-gatherer ancestors walked an average of 18,000 steps a day? Even the women who were doing less of the hunting and gathering were walking around 11,000 steps—which seems a country mile more than our average rate today of just 5,000 steps.
We are genetically disposed to be more active, and the fact we’re not has many knock-on consequences, affecting our health, mental wellbeing and even our sleep. Around 60 percent of people suffer from some level of insomnia; even if we are getting some sleep, we wake in the night or find it difficult getting to sleep.
Around 80 percent of us sit at a desk to do our work, say researchers from the University of South Florida. In turn, this increases the risk of insomnia by around 37 percent and raises the need for the weekend catchup sleep by up to 66 percent.
The researchers analysed lifestyle data from around 1,000 office workers, and categorised them either as good, catchup or insomnia-like sleepers. Most fell into the insomnia-like category, which included having problems falling asleep, having interrupted sleep and suffering from frequent daytime tiredness.
We don’t need to start foraging again—a trip to the supermarket is still OK—but we do need to increase our level of activity, even if we just increase the number of steps we walk each day. Any exercise or activity that raises the heart rate—such as a brisk walk, dancing or climbing a few flights of stairs—can have a positive effect on cognitive abilities and sleep quality.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) say that even moderate exercise can help us sleep deeply and soundly—and it has a positive knock-on effect into the next day.
The UCL researchers tested a group of 76 people, aged between 50 and 83, after they had done some moderate to vigorous physical activity, and discovered they still had greater mental sharpness the following day.
Stay Healthy,
Janice