The science of human physical activity and fitness is ripefor a novel theoretical framework
that can integrate the ecological genetic physiological and psychological factors that
influence physical activity inhumans. Physical inactivity dominates most developed nations
around theworld and is among the leading causes of disease burden and death worldwide.
Despitethe wide array of physical and mental health benefits few people get therecommended
level of physical activity to achieve these benefits. Currentresearch on physical activity has
not as of yet been successful for thedevelopment of effective exercise interventions. Several
researchers haveadvocated a more integrative approach that takes evolutionary history
intoaccount but such a framework has yet to be advanced. To that aim the firstgoal of this
book is to present a comprehensive evolutionary and life historyframework that highlights the
domain-specific aspects of the evolved psychologyand physiology that can lead to a more
integrated and complete understanding ofphysical activity across the lifespan. It summarizes
and extends previous workthat has been done to understand the ways natural selection has shaped
physicalactivity in humans in traditional and modern economies and environments. In many ways
humans are adaptedto be physically active. Overall however natural selection has shaped
aflexible but energy conscious system that responds to environmental andindividual costs and
benefits of physical activity to optimally allocate afinite energetic budget across the
lifespan. This system is adapted to respondto cues of resource scarcity and high levels of
obligatory physical activity andconserves energy to favor allocation in ways that increase the
likelihood ofreproductive success and survival. This nuanced application leads to a
morethorough understanding of the circumstances that natural selection is predictedto favor
both sedentary and active behaviors in predictable ways across thelifespan. The second goal of
this book is to synthesizeand interpret cross-disciplinary research (from biological and
evolutionaryanthropology and psychology epidemiology health psychology and
exercisephysiology) that can illuminate original approaches to increase physicalactivity in
modern primarily sedentary contexts. This includes a breakdown ofthe human lifespan to discuss
the predicted costs and benefits of physicalactivity at each stage of life in order to
differentiate the obstacles tophysical activity and exercise that are functionally adaptive-or
were in theenvironments that they evolved-and identifying which factors are moremodifiable than
others in order to develop interventions and environments thatare more conducive to physical
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