Book Review "Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding" Dan Lieberman
- Alastair Hunt
- Mar 27, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 2, 2025
What? Why don’t we like exercise? Because we were never meant to do it. We live in a world where are evolution is at odds with our environment. Lieberman debunks common exercise myths and offers solutions to get us moving.
Who? Dan Lieberman is a Harvard paleoanthropologist, famed barefoot runner and expert in evolution, foot mechanics and physical activity.
Why? Understanding what is holding you back from exercise can be as important as knowing what to do and why it is important to do it. This book frames exercise and physical activity in evolutionary terms, it stands apart from other books on exercise and health.
So… How can you turn ‘exercise’ into ‘lifestyle’? How can you make movement part of your life?
Look out for the publication on Kindle.
Supporting your body through balanced nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, quality sleep and meaningful social connection (these are known as the Pillars of Health) are some of the most powerful health 'tools' we have. Changing health for the better is about consistent progress, not perfection, and even small changes can make a meaningful difference over time.
As always, the best health strategy is one you can stick with - one that fits your personal lifestyle profile. Improving health is about finding motivation, prioritising self-care and taking action. If you want to take effective and targeted steps to that fit into your unique lifestyle, The Whole Health Practice is here to help. Whether you want to improve eating practices, beat chronic illness or enhance your overall well-being, our consultations and programs deliver results that are tailored to your needs.
FOUNDATIONS - our premier whole person health consult - identifies and prioritises the key factors, known and unknown, that affect health and wellbeing. It provides targeted recommendations tailored to you, the individual, and your unique lifestyle.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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Related Studies
MacDonald CS, Bennekou MA, Nielsen SM, Junker AE, Biering-Sørensen T, Langberg H, Christensen R, Lieberman DE, Zachariae C, Pallisgaard JL. Evolutionary Mismatch and Lifestyle-Related Diseases: A Study of a 6-Month Intensive Lifestyle Intervention. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2024 Dec;34(12):e14770. doi: 10.1111/sms.14770. PMID: 39695354.
Lieberman DE, Worthington S, Schell LD, Parkent CM, Devinsky O, Carmody RN. Comparing measured dietary variation within and between tropical hunter-gatherer groups to the Paleo Diet. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023 Sep;118(3):549-560. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.06.013. Epub 2023 Jun 19. PMID: 37343704.
Lea AJ, Clark AG, Dahl AW, Devinsky O, Garcia AR, Golden CD, Kamau J, Kraft TS, Lim YAL, Martins DJ, Mogoi D, Pajukanta P, Perry GH, Pontzer H, Trumble BC, Urlacher SS, Venkataraman VV, Wallace IJ, Gurven M, Lieberman DE, Ayroles JF. Applying an evolutionary mismatch framework to understand disease susceptibility. PLoS Biol. 2023 Sep 11;21(9):e3002311. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002311. PMID: 37695771; PMCID: PMC10513379.
Wallace IJ, Kraft TS, Venkataraman VV, Davis HE, Holowka NB, Harris AR, Lieberman DE, Gurven M. Cultural variation in running techniques among non-industrial societies. Evol Hum Sci. 2022;4:e14. doi: 10.1017/ehs.2022.12. Epub 2022 Apr 11. PMID: 36325185; PMCID: PMC9624512.
Momma H, Kawakami R, Honda T, Sawada SS. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Br J Sports Med. 2022 Jul;56(13):755-763. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061. Epub 2022 Feb 28. PMID: 35228201; PMCID: PMC9209691.
Mandsager K, Harb S, Cremer P, Phelan D, Nissen SE, Jaber W. Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing. JAMA Netw Open. 2018 Oct 5;1(6):e183605. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605. PMID: 30646252; PMCID: PMC6324439.
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