The Miracle Pill

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How did we get here? Daily, constant exertion was an integral part of humanity for millennia, but in just a few decades movement was virtually designed out of people’s lives through transformed workplaces, the dominance of the car, and a built environment which encourages people to be static. This book is pretty life-changing – encouraging, optimistic, rich with information. It got me off the sofa.' Jeremy Vine

That boils down to this - for health and longevity it is important that we move our bodies by walking, bicycling, jogging, running, etc. That movement doesn't have to be strenuous, it just has to raise our heart rate a little. And, it doesn't have to be hours long sessions at the gym; just getting up once an hour to walk a bit is helpful. How did we get here? Daily, constant exertion was an integral part of humanity for millennia, but in just a few decades movement was virtually designed out of people's lives throughtransformed workplaces, the dominance of the car, and a built environment which encourages people to be static.So, basically, here's the thing the book is pushing: moving more improves our health. Little things like walking and riding bikes—and sitting less—will do wonders to help our health in ways we can't imagine. Essentially, he argues that if we could take an expensive pill that would have the same impact, we all would. So why not do the free, natural thing? The answer is simple: activity became exercise. What for centuries was universal and everyday has become the fetishised pursuit of a minority, whether the superhuman feats of elite athletes, or a chore slotted into busy schedules. Yes, most people know physical activity is good for us. And yet 1.5 billion people around the world are so inactive they are at greater risk of everything from heart disease to diabetes, cancer, arthritis and depression, even dementia. Sedentary living now kills more people than obesity, despite receiving much less attention, and is causing a pandemic of chronic ill health many experts predict could soon bankrupt the NHS.

The answer is simple: activity became exercise. What for centuries was universal and everyday has become the fetishised pursuit of a minority, whether the superhuman feats of elite athletes, or a chore slotted into busy schedules. Yes, most people know physical activity is good for us. And yet 1.5 billion people around the world are so inactive they are at greater risk of everything from heart disease to diabetes, cancer, arthritis and depression, even dementia . Sedentary living now kills more people than obesity , despite receiving much less attention, and is causing a pandemic of chronic ill health many experts predict could soon bankrupt the NHS.

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However bleak the situation might seem, the author shows that countries can do better! I enjoyed the examples of the Netherlands and Denmark which developed infrastructure to allow people to move easily by bike or by foot.