These Two Primal Exercises are the Foundation of Any Exercise Program
The year is 180,000 BC. It is early morning, but already the hot sun bakes the African plain.

A new species of Hominid has been rapidly expanding across the continent. Their secret weapon? Ultra-Endurance combined with a pro-social neo-cortex.
A small band of hunters, both males and females, traverse the grasslands in search of breakfast. After miles of walking they pick up on animal tracks. Their pace quickens to a jog.Minutes later, the leader spots a pair of antlers just over the next ridge and gives the signal. Fully alert, the team instantly breaks into an all-out sprint! After a series of such intervals they catch up and corner the exhausted beast.

But their work is not over. They must now carry the heavy load of food back to camp, where their hungry offspring and elderly await.
If you are human, some form of bipedal locomotion, be it walking or jogging, is built into your DNA. Other forms of “cardio” such as biking, rowing or swimming all have fantastic benefits, but nothing matches the functional elegance of moving your body across the surface of the planet by using your feet.

Even a few minutes of walking is great for loosening up those joints and getting the juices flowing! Plus if you live in the city, it’s sometimes faster than driving

You can be like the hunters in our story by including bouts of high intensity interval training. This may be the best way to improve the power and efficiency of your heart while getting rid of excess fat and building strong muscles. Take care to start moderately and dial up the intensity with patience. Ideally do so with a coach or experienced partner.

Like our ancestors of the Pleistocene, you too must lift and carry heavy stuff in order to survive and thrive. Working with weights (including your own body) is vital to keeping your bones, muscles and nervous system healthy and vibrant. Being strong also has the added benefit of boosting your confidence and mood!

So what should we, modern humans, actually do? 

1. Run or walk for some distance most days. This shouldn’t be a marathon and doesn’t need to be as fast as possible. 
2. Lift and carry things which are appropriately heavy. (Don’t overdo this at the start and for safety reasons I recommend working with an experienced strength coach). 

For example: here is a recent workout from CrossFit Jerusalem.:
3 ROUNDS
1000m Run
200m Dumbbells Suitcase Carry

You can even do this workout at home! Consider substituting walking for running or do half walking and half running and use a backpack loaded with books for the carry.

Let us know how it goes!

Want to learn how to do CrossFit The Right Way from a team with decades of experience?
Book your free No- Sweat Intro at CrossFit Jerusalem here.