Following on from my previous blog, let’s consider what we are, and through this understanding, find better ways to conserve ourselves – perhaps before we go extinct! We evolved away from the primate line to be upright, thinking animals: able to move long distances on foot, but also capable of exploiting habitats and opportunities through our innate curiosity, ability to solve problems and manipulative skills. We are in essence complex brains equipped with powerful legs and clever hands. A further aspect of our evolution has been to associate as families and in tribal groups.

Firstly, let’s think about legs and feet. We evolved to move in two ways: fast and slow. Fast, perhaps, to evade danger and capture moving prey; more slowly to travel long distances. Children run fast and can dodge and turn, and these abilities are developed further in some adolescents and young adults in games and athletics. From middle age on these human abilities are neglected by most people. Even in childhood, physical mobility is often compromised by too much time spent sitting and being passively transported. As for employing our legs in walking, this ability has mostly been neglected through the use of private and public transport.

So, in order to conserve ourselves, we need to walk more. This will strengthen the muscles of the legs and lower back and, in turn, allow for more powerful walking over long distances. And, as pointed out before, strong legs mean a more efficient circulation – the legs assist in returning blood to the heart. Furthermore, the strength of our leg bones is dependent on regular use in supporting our weight.

But we cannot neglect our feet. To keep them healthy they need to be free of shoes as often as possible. And the shoes we have to use to protect us from concrete and gravel need to be large enough to allow movement of the toes and free flexion at the ankle. When walking we need to pay attention to our gait – the process of moving each leg in turn. The weight-bearing leg needs to straighten at the knee, and the foot push off with the toes; the other leg reaching forward allowing the heel to meet the ground first and the foot rolling forward to the toes.

So if you are interested in sustaining the characteristics which you have inherited from your recent ancestors, you could start by looking after your legs and feet. Other aspects of human conservation will be covered in later blogs.