35.REMAIN INACTIVE— or — Move

Having a bout of exercise is like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin, right where it is supposed to go.

—John Ratey

Being active contributes to our physical health, significantly reducing the likelihood of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. But the benefits from being active are not limited to the body. A moderate amount of physical exercise on a regular basis—as little as thirty minutes three times a week—has the same effect in combating depression and anxiety as does the most powerful psychiatric medication. Being active increases overall psychological well-being, enhances concentration and creativity, and significantly reduces the likelihood of dementia and cognitive impairment later in life. To increase the likelihood of enjoying physical and mental health, we need to move it.

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In the film WALL-E, society has reached a stage where people are so overweight and their muscles so atrophied that they are hardly able to walk. They spend their days lying down, fed by machines, mindlessly watching whatever is showing on the big screen in front of them. Sadly, over the past few decades we have taken immense strides toward this dystopian future. p

Today, unlike in the not-too-distant past, we can afford the 「luxury」 of being lazy. We no longer need to run after a deer for lunch or run away from a lion so that we don』t become lunch; we heat up our supper or have it warmed up for us and delivered to our doorstep. We no longer need to cut trees to warm up our cave, but simply press a switch to turn on the heat. We can—and many of us do—spend our days in front of the computer or on the phone, and our evenings glued to the TV. Children today, rather than playing on the street or in the fields as children did only a few decades ago, spend most of their waking hours physically idle in front of one screen or another.

Our nature requires us to be physically active, just as it requires us to breathe oxygen and eat the right food. When we frustrate a natural need, we pay a high price, physically and psychologically. The unnatural new world of WALL-E is closer than ever, and we must avert the onslaught of slothfulness by moving and encouraging others to do the same.

Enjoying the benefits of exercise does not require a radical change of lifestyle. Small changes to your routine can make a big difference. Choose to park a few hundred yards away from your office, take up gardening, use the stairs instead of the elevator a few times a week. These light activities will add up, and will contribute to your physical and mental health.