Our Bodies Were Made to Move

Thousands of years ago, movement wasn’t optional, it was survival. Imagine waking at dawn: you crouch low to stir the fire, walk to the river to fetch water, climb a small hill to gather berries, then carry a child on your hip while balancing a bundle of wood. Every task required motion, strength, and flexibility. There were no workouts, no step counters. Only life unfolding through movement.

Now compare that to today. Many of us spend 10–12 hours sitting at desks, in cars, or on couches and then try to make up for it with a single workout squeezed into the day. It’s a rhythm our bodies were never designed for.  As menopause reshapes metabolism, muscle, and bone- movement becomes a key protective factor.  

A Unique Look at What History Teaches Us About Movement

Life as a Hunter Gatherer
Women in foraging societies walked miles each day, squatted frequently, carried children and food, and climbed when needed. They rarely sat for long periods. Chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease were almost nonexistent.

The Rise of Farming
Agriculture brought reliable calories but at a cost. Diets narrowed to one or two staple grains, leading to iron deficiency, shorter stature, weaker bones, and more cavities. Living close to animals and one another spread infections such as tuberculosis and parasites. though still very physically active, farming meant endless repetitive tasks like grinding grain, hoeing fields, and carrying loads. These demands left skeletons marked by arthritis and worn joints. People often survived longer into childbearing years, but aged with less resilience.

The Modern Sedentary Shift
Sedentary hours now dominate our days. We’ve gained medical advances, but lost the constant activity our bodies expect. Structured exercise helps, but it cannot fully undo the health costs of sitting most of the day for much of our lives.

I find the transition from hunter gatherer life to early farming to be especially revealing. Scientists who examine ancient skeletons and teeth find remarkably consistent patterns during this shift:

Narrowed Diets and Deficiencies
As diets shifted to one or two main grains, people developed more deficiencies such as iron deficiency anemia, B vitamin shortages, and protein malnutrition. Skeletons from this period show signs like porous skull bones, stunted growth, and weak enamel on teeth.

New Illnesses in Early Farming
Living in closer quarters with domesticated animals brought new illnesses including tuberculosis, parasites, and diarrheal disease. More children died young, and survivors often carried the burden of chronic infections throughout life.

Shrinking Stature and Weaker Bones
Average height dropped when farming began. Hunter gatherers were typically taller, with stronger bones and healthier teeth. Farmers were shorter, more fragile, and had more cavities from grain heavy diets.

The Toll of Repetitive Labor
Farming life meant endless repetitive tasks like grinding grain, hoeing fields, and carrying loads. Skeletons from these populations show overuse injuries in the spine and knees, unlike the more varied movement patterns of foragers.

Strengths and Struggles of Each Era 

• Hunter gatherers who made it past childhood often aged with good mobility and fewer signs of degenerative disease, though trauma and accidents were risks.
• Early farmers were more likely to survive to childbearing age thanks to a steady food supply, but they aged with weaker resilience due to nutritional gaps, chronic infection, and joint stress.

Menopause Meets Modern Movement

Menopause is a natural transition, not a disease. But in today’s sedentary world, it collides with a body that was designed to move. For most of human history, women spent their days walking, squatting, carrying, and tending. That constant activity helped regulate blood sugar, supported strong bones, and maintained muscle.

When estrogen and progesterone begin to decline in perimenopause and menopause, the body becomes more vulnerable to changes in metabolism, bone, and muscle. Without daily movement woven into our routines, these natural shifts can accelerate:

• Insulin resistance and abdominal weight gain which make it harder to maintain energy and stable moods.
• Loss of bone density and muscle mass increases the risk of osteoporosis and frailty later in life.
• Higher cardiovascular risk emerges, especially when long hours of sitting combined with ultra processed foods dominate the day.

In other words, it’s not just that hormones are changing, it’s that they are changing in the context of modern living. Our physiology evolved for constant, varied movement, not for 10 hours in a chair and one burst of gym time. This mismatch amplifies midlife symptoms and health risks, but it also gives us a clear opportunity: by moving more throughout the day, we can buffer the impact of hormonal change.

Rediscovering Natural Patterns of Movement

You don’t need to give up modern conveniences. But you can borrow from ancestral patterns to create your future:

• Move Often: Stand up, walk, or stretch every 30–60 minutes. Even 2–5 minutes lowers blood sugar and blood pressure.
• Carry and Squat: Groceries, laundry, gardening, house cleaning—functional movements that echo ancestral lifting and bending.
• Step Outdoors: Natural light, uneven terrain, and fresh air restore circadian rhythms and add subtle training.
• Add Occasional Bursts: Resistance training, sprints, or high intensity intervals build bone and muscle strength (only if uninjured and physically able).
• Make It Social: Walk with a friend, dance, or join a group. Movement has almost always been communal. But make sure the community lifts you up and doesn’t cause undue stress. Movement can be social and uplifting or peaceful and solitary, depending on what fills you up.
• Link Food and Activity: A short walk after meals improves glucose control and mirrors the natural tie between food and movement.
• Rest Differently: Try ground sitting (cross legged if possible), squatting, or gentle mobility work instead of only chairs and couches.

Designing Your Menopause Movement Future

Think of activity as daily nourishment, not just a scheduled task.

• Base Layer: All day, low intensity movement, your modern version of foraging and carrying.
• Overlay: Intentional exercise for strength, bone, and cardiovascular resilience.

This blend not only reduces symptoms now but also lays down protection for decades to come. By rediscovering how humans were designed to move, you can thrive in menopause and beyond.

Closing Thought

Our ancestors moved because they had to in order to survive. You can choose to move in order to thrive. Reclaiming these patterns is not about going backward, it’s about designing a menopause future that honors how your body is built to function.  The key is building movement into your daily routine until it becomes a habit. Over weeks and months, small steps add up—blood sugar steadies, strength grows, energy returns. Give yourself the gift of time and consistency, and you’ll see the change unfold.

Wellness always,

Dr. Lynd

Clearly, this post is for general information only!  This is not medical advice. No physician/patient relationship is formed. Utilizing any of this information is at the reader's own risk.   This content is not a substitute for personalized medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Seek advice from your personal professional provider who knows you and your current medical needs.