The Evolution of Persistence

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The story begins two million years ago when a major climactic event cooled the Earth. Early humans were forested areas became more patchy and transformed into open woodlands, grasslands. The human beings who survived had these physical adaptations that made hunting and foraging and gathering easier.

Pay a visit to your local gym, observe the grimacing patrons as they pound the treadmill or march in place on the StairMaster, and you might conclude that exercise is no fun. But it doesn’t have to be that way, according to Kelly McGonigal, who lectures at Stanford, teaches dance classes, and wrote “The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage.” Today, she explains how exercise — of all kinds and in all doses — can strengthen your mind, elevate your mood, and deepen your social connections.