The entirety of human civilization is based on the idea of movement, whether it is the movement of people, concepts, ideas or things. What has provided great complexity and advancement to all that we have created and all that we have become is the idea of movement. Physically speaking, movement brings with it a change – a change in the inertia of rest that preceded it and with change comes development and with development, growth.
The decision of our ancient human ancestors to leave the tree branches and move on ground in search for food millions of years ago resulted in people using space travel in the 21st century.
This is how far we have come : From branches to bikes. Frorm rocks to rockets.
From tree treetops to land, from dangerous open spaces to the comfort of caves, from walking barefeet to using wheels, from one patch of forest to another, from towns to cities and form one continent two other : the entire story of human civilization is the story of a ceaseless forward motion. Movement is crucial to not just biological bodies but entire social, political and economic systems. History is testament to to the significance of movement where nations covered vast expanse of oceans in search for more resources and creation of colonies.
However, the idea of movement, this crucial factor for survival is increasingly being neglected in the modern world. Forget about moving across continents we find it difficult to move across the room to open the fridge and grab some junk to satiate our midnight cravings.
Technology makes us lazy and has largely reduced the need for movement. Laziness has devised ingenious ways of cutting down movement whether it is booking cabs, getting food delivered at your doorsteps, meeting people through zoom or shopping online. We make payments at the click of a button, book tickets at the click of a button , order food at the click of a button, find love at the click of a button, show off on social media at the click of a button, like or dislike at the click of a button, live at the click of a button and die click of a button as well!
The result: we have reduced life to a handful of clicks where nothing actually seems to “click” anymore.
Our sedentary lifestyle is marked with hours of screentime where our stress levels go through the roof while we lie on bed doing nothing. We get tired without bodily exercise, laugh without being happy and exist without living.
Such lifestyle marked by a permanent inertia of rest can be changed in a moment through the ridiculously simple act getting up and moving. A walk, a jog, a hike, a trek – all reap physical and emotional dividends for us. Studies show that a brisk walk or a light run greatly reduces stress by releasing dopamine, the happy hormone that keeps us motivated with range of health and emotional benefits.
Moving around is a great answer to most of our life’s problems. Our forefathers crossed deserts and mountains merely to survive. We can at least cross the street to hit the gym or that yoga session.
