A review by ameyawarde
Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding by Daniel E. Lieberman

5.0

I legitimately am allergic to exercise (exercise-induced anaphalaxis!) and so I avoid cardio with great seriousness, and have loudly proclaimed my hatred of exercise since my "mysterious" reactions in gym class as a kid. However, I *have* had slightly more cardio tolerance than I do lately for various reasons.. and reading this book both satisfied my general health-science/anthropology nerd brain, and actually made me want to seriously figure out how to increase my tolerance so I can get more exercise in my life. And, for once, NOT due to anything weight loss related, because turns out my own experience has been validated, and exercise, while being VERY IMPORTANT, really isn't related to weight loss in the ways everyone has taught us.

My most-used tidbit from this book has been: DO YOU KNOW HUNTER GATHERER ELDERS' HEALTH DOESN'T AT ALL GO TO S**T LIKE WESTERNERS DO? Because, WOW. I listened to the audiobook so I don't have the stats on hand to double check, but it was definitely mind boggling!

I also read this book righ after Lieberman's advisee Herman Ponzer's new book "Burn" about metabolism-- They should be sold together, they go together very well, and even reference each other.