The book tells the story of how we never evolved to exercise - to do voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. Using his own research and experiences throughout the world, the author recounts how and why humans evolved to walk, run, dig, and do other necessary and rewarding physical activities while avoiding needless exertion. Drawing on insights from biology and anthropology, the author suggests how we can make exercise more enjoyable, rather that shaming and blaming people for avoiding it

The bestselling guide to the vagus nerve, now in 20+ languages: unlock the self-healing power of Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory Vagus exercises for reducing anxiety, healing trauma, and rebalancing your autonomic nervous system This comprehensive guide offers an easy-to-understand overview of the vagus nerve—and helps you unlock your body’s innate capacity to heal from stress, trauma, anxiety, and injury. Dr. Stanley Rosenberg, PhD, dispels long-held myths about the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and offers up-to-date research on how our physical health, emotional wellness, and the vagus nerve are all interconnected. Most importantly, he shows how these insights can help you heal your ANS—and live a less stressed, more balanced, and emotionally regulated life. This book offers: An in-depth overview of Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory Step-by-step self-help techniques for regulating the vagus nerve Vagus exercises to relieve emotional, psychological, and physical symptoms Real-life case studies and stories from the author’s clinical practice Insights into the vagus nerve’s role in social behavior An overview of what happens in our bodies when we get stuck in stress states—and how to heal them Simple, research-backed recommendations for initiating deep relaxation, improving sleep, healing from trauma, and stimulating recovery from illness and injury Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve is written for therapists, bodyworkers, trauma survivors, parents, and anyone struggling with chronic stress. Grounded in neurobiology research, clinical stories, and easy-to-follow exercises, this book gives you the tools to bring your body back into a state of safety, balance, and optimal functioning.

There is something terribly wrong with the state of exercise as we know it presently. Sales of treadmills, running shoes, gym memberships, and yoga classes are at an all-time high, but so too are our national levels of obesity and type II diabetes. Ever since the 1960s the exercising public has been told to stretch for flexibility and to perform low-intensity steady-state aerobic exercise for their cardiovascular systems and some form of resistance training to keep their muscles strong. With regard to diet, they have been told to restrict or omit macronutrients such as fats and carbohydrates and lots of other advice with regard to calorie-counting. Could it be that this information, however well intended, was mistaken? And is it really necessary to devote so much time to the pursuit? Fitness researcher and pioneer John Little has spent more than twelve years researching the actual science underpinning our most prevalent beliefs about exercise and has come away from the enterprise convinced that we need an entirely new paradigm, one that would involve reliance on briefer workouts. He presents this revolutionary new approach in The Time-Saver's Workout. Among the fascinating revelations presented in this book: • Certain types of exercise can actually make you less healthy and fatter. • Taking large doses of food supplements might actually shorten your life and put you at greater risk for disease. • Stretching to become more flexible or to recover quicker from injury has been found to do neither of these things. • Resistance training, once considered to be the weak sister of exercise, is now looking like the best form of exercise one should engage in. The new protocols that Little exposes offer a far safer alternative for those looking to become stronger, fitter, and healthier without spending their lives in the gym.

Asthma and allergy represent increasing problems for the actively competing athlete. The prevalence of exercise-induced asthma (EIA) has increased over the last two decades, especially amongst elite endurance athletes; it has been reported that high-level endurance training in particular may increase bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and cause inflammation in the airways. Intensive endurance training and competition, together with environmental influences, are thought to be causative factors. For winter sports, inhaled cold air represents such an environmental factor; moreover, exposure of c.