Update from shaky man

My regular correspondent Neil Sligar, the hardcore badass from Down Under, has sent along some photos. What he’s doing would be ninjariffic for any dude in his mid-60s, but is especially so because Neil was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1998. Check him out bench pressing 100 kg.

As Jorg Blech points out in his book, exercise is good for damn near anything that ails you. The human body evolved to move against resistance — literally and metaphorically. Rest and recovery are important — essential, even. But like anything else, they should be done in moderation. The body thrives on well-managed challenges (with the occasional crazy challenge thrown in there to shake things up). As this video of Hazda Bushmen in Tanzania suggests, our ancestors evolved as active beings. Daily life for early humans meant almost constant movement. Stop moving and you’re lion food.

High fives to Neil!