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In 2017 The Lancet reported on the health of the Tsimane people in the Bolivian Amazon. Heart (or more correctly cardiovascular) disease is almost unknown in this population, with a mere 8% of those over the age of 75 having a moderate to high risk of plaque build-up in the arteries leading to the heart. In fact, if you really crunch the numbers, an eighty something Tsimane has the same heart as a fifty something American. It is true, however, that disease and infection coupled with a lack of access to modern healthcare, vaccines, plumbing and abundant fresh water, mean life expectancy is 53 years; but doesn't it make you think? Researchers found the Tsimane diet to be high in carbohydrate (72%), low in protein (14%) and low in sugar and fat (14%). The unrefined carbohydrates the Tsimane eat are high in fibre, which is a big reason for their heart health, but the difference that struck us here at Calmworks® was their activity level. Even in old age they walk. Not just a bit, but many miles per day. Adult members of the Tsimane walk for 11-12 miles a day. This walking isn't at pace; it is walking, ambling, standing and very occasionally running. It’s not what we would call ‘exercise’. But they do move. And they move a lot. Everyday. And in case you need any further incentive, in 2017 Neil Charness, professor of psychology at Florida State University (FSU), reaffirmed that physical exercise provided more cognitive benefits than brain training games. Studies have confirmed this before and since. This moving, this perambulation, this thing we bi-peds are designed for, is both mentally and physically beneficial. So now is the time, and every day is the moment, get out, get walking, don't take the bus, don't use the car, if you can walk, Walk!
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