Made to Move: How Our Modern Environment Has Outpaced Biology

By Shannon Kasun, Neuroscience Specialist

The Evolutionary Mismatch

Roughly 200,000 years ago, the daily rhythm of human life looked nothing like it does today. Our Homo sapiens ancestors did not sit at desks or in cars, or unwind on couches. They moved constantly and purposefully. Their survival depended on it.

From sunrise to sunset, life unfolded on foot: hunting game, gathering plants, collecting water, building shelters, and migrating with their communities. On average, hunter-gatherers covered nearly eight miles per day, trekking 16,000–17,000 steps just to meet basic needs (O’Keefe & Lavie, 2020). This wasn’t “exercise.” It was life—and it is the life our biology was built for.

For the vast majority of human history, movement was non-negotiable. Our physiology evolved under conditions of frequent, varied physical activity. 

Then, almost overnight in evolution’s frame of reference, everything changed.

The agricultural revolution reduced the need for constant movement. The industrial revolution mechanized labor. And the digital age has all but eliminated it.

Today, the average American walks about 5,000 steps per day—less than a third of what our ancestors routinely achieved. Even more concerning, over 80% of adults in the U.S. fail to meet basic physical activity guidelines (O’Keefe & Lavie, 2020). 

When Biology Meets the Wrong Environment

Our biology has not changed nearly as fast as our environment has. We are still wired for movement, yet surrounded by convenience and comfort. The result is a growing disconnect between what our bodies expect and how we live day-to-day. 

This evolutionary mismatch has profound consequences—it is quite literally killing us. Physical inactivity is now the fourth leading cause of death worldwide (Kohl et al., 2012). Moreover, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death both in the U.S. and globally. Yet among contemporary hunter-gatherer populations—such as the Tsimane of the Bolivian Amazon—heart disease is rare, even in old age (Kaplan et al., 2018).

Movement as a Blueprint, Not a Workout

The solution is not necessarily more time in the gym—it is to return to movement patterns that resemble how humans are designed to live.

The hunter-gatherer lifestyle offers a powerful template. Here’s how ancestral behaviors can translate into modern movement:

• Stalking and hunting prey → Interval trainingOur ancestors alternated between long periods of low-intensity movement and short bursts of high effort. Incorporate sprint intervals, hill sprints, or short, intense bouts of effort into your routine.

• Foraging for plants and berries → Gardening Gathering food required squatting, reaching, digging, and walking. Gardening recreates these natural, multi-directional movements while reconnecting you to your environment.

• Carrying water, children, and firewood → Carrying groceries / strength training Daily life demanded strength. Carry heavy objects—groceries, sandbags, kettlebells—to build functional, real-world strength.

• Migrating with the tribe → Walking Movement was constant and steady. Make walking your default—whether it’s commuting, taking calls, or winding down in the evening.

• Ceremonial dancing → Dancing and rhythmic movement Movement was not just functional—it was expressive and social. Dance, play, and move rhythmically to engage your body.

• Climbing, navigating terrain → Mobility and varied movement Uneven terrain required balance, coordination, and joint mobility. Incorporate mobility work, balance exercises, and movement in varied environments.

  
  

These are not isolated workouts—they are integrated and primitive movements that satisfy our ancient design. Reintroducing these ancestral movement patterns into your daily life does not just improve fitness—it restores coherence between your biology and your environment.

Don’t Forget the Outdoors

Movement did not just happen frequently—it happened outside.

Our ancestors spent their days outdoors in natural light. Sunlight plays a critical role in regulating circadian rhythms and stimulating vitamin D synthesis, both essential for overall health. Modern indoor living strips away these environmental inputs just as much as it removes movement.

Returning to Our Roots

Much of modern healthcare is reactive—treating symptoms after dysfunction appears. But many of the aches, pains, and chronic conditions we experience today stem from a simple issue: we’re living out of alignment with our biology. We are trying to force a square peg into a triangular hole.

Real health optimization does not come from outsmarting or hacking our biology, but from honoring it and aligning daily life with the conditions our bodies were designed for.

And at the center of that alignment is one fundamental truth:

We are made to move.

References

O'Keefe, Evan L, and Carl J Lavie. “A Hunter-Gatherer Exercise Prescription to Optimize Health and Well-Being in the Modern World.” Journal of science in sport and exercise vol. 3,2 (2021): 147-157. doi:10.1007/s42978-020-00091-0

O'Keefe, James H et al. “Achieving hunter-gatherer fitness in the 21(st) century: back to the future.” The American journal of medicine vol. 123,12 (2010): 1082-6. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.04.026

Kohl, Harold W 3rd et al. “The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health.” Lancet (London, England) vol. 380,9838 (2012): 294-305. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60898-8

Kaplan, Hillard et al. “Coronary atherosclerosis in indigenous South American Tsimane: a cross-sectional cohort study.” Lancet (London, England) vol. 389,10080 (2017): 1730-1739. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30752-3