Sally Engelhart | Doing it caveman style

Many of us know someone running the 26.2 miles this weekend, and most of us think that they are insane — but after a closer look, I think they might be the ones who truly understand how to exercise.

When you look at the human body from an evolutionary point of view (the only point of view worth my time) it’s pretty clear that we were built to exercise a different way than we do. I know it sounds crazy to say get off the elliptical and put away your $150 Nike Shox, but, inspired by the Philly marathon, I’m promoting back-to-basics exercise — let’s do it the caveman way.

If it sounds like I’m suggesting that you run 10 miles, put an antelope on your back and run home, that’s because I am. And if you can’t be convinced to haul an animal carcass around campus, you can still do the long-distance running.

Think about it. We haven’t done much evolving in the past few thousand years — we have essentially the same bodies as cavemen. How many cavemen did you see on a Stairmaster with cushioning orthotics and high-tech shoes?

College sophomore Sarah Nalle, who’s running the marathon Sunday, agrees. “Running feels instinctive. It’s just natural for us,” she explains.

And she’s right. Throughout our history, adaptations that allow us to run marathon-like lengths were favored because they improved humans’ ability to hunt.

Take our ability to sweat, for instance. Most animals pant to stay cool and suck at panting and running at the same time. On a hot day, panting animals overheat, making them easy prey for hunters. Believe it of not, if you put a human up against a horse to run a marathon on a hot day, the human would cross the finish line first.

Then there are our toes. With the exception of your freak-of-nature ex-girlfriend/roommate/cousin, most of us can’t grab things with our toes because we don’t have the branch-grasping long toes of our ape ancestors. And that’s a good thing.

In February the Journal of Experimental Biology published findings showing that short toes make for much more efficient running. Decreasing toe length by as little as 20 percent halves the mechanical work the foot does to run. Similarly, because our big toes line up with our other toes, we’re better able to push off from the ground.

All that being said, why do runners so often get injured?

Some experts blame our lazy childhoods — though lazy childhoods have become an easy excuse for anything. But running as a kid is crucial to the development of strong tendons and ligaments — and most people don’t start running until adulthood. And without gradual training, high-impact running puts a lot of strain on our unprepared bodies. It doesn’t help that nowadays, we’re hitting the pavement — a far-from-natural medium.

Chris McDougall, author of the bestselling Born to Run, actually blames high-tech running shoes for many running-related injuries. His thinking makes some sense when you consider that early hunters and some tribespeople today run miles and miles with nothing but a thin piece of leather strapped to their feet. Today, he runs through New York City wearing only sandals.

His approach is controversial, and uncomfortable, for some runners. In high school, Nalle was forced to take a hiatus from running because of hip injuries. But she stands by her training (and her shoes), attributing her injuries to her body’s natural makeup. Still, she says, “I wish I could put away my shoes and run more naturally, but I feel like my sneakers are the reason I can run as far as I do.”

Even though I’m not on board with the sandals thing (and still frequent the elliptical), I think researchers are definitely on to something when they say we’re born to run. Yes, a marathon seems daunting, but I’m telling you that you can do it. You were made to.

SALLY ENGELHART is a College sophomore from Toronto. Her e-mail address is engleheart@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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