In today's living environment, many of us get too little exercise for several reasons, leading to all kinds of physical ailments and poor psychological and mental health.
First, most of the day is spent working indoors, away from sunlight. We sit for hours without moving, getting far too little exercise or beneficial stimulation for our muscles. (We should aim to walk at least 10,000 steps a day, supplemented with some strength training.) Indoor temperatures also remain constant for long periods, giving our bodies no mild exposure to changes between warm and cold.
Second, social pressures lead us to eat and drink heavily late at night. This stimulates insulin secretion and suppresses the production of melatonin and growth hormone, making it hard to fall asleep or causing light sleep. That leaves us even more tired the next day, creating a vicious cycle.
Third, work pressure makes it impossible to control our schedules, so we can't get to bed on time before ten. We are constantly worrying about all kinds of trivial matters and deadlines.
Fourth, we simply don't understand, or refuse to understand, the mechanisms behind these structural problems. As a result, we blindly follow the advice of people around us to take medication, thinking medicine can solve everything. We fail to start at the root by changing our work and lifestyle, and end up exhausting ourselves in the trap of treating symptoms without addressing the cause. I hope this book can help us fill our bodies with vitality and become more positive.
