Why do need to be taught to lift with our legs and not our back? Is lifting with our back a learned behaviour that we need to unlearn?
Upright standing is a very recent condition for humans on an evolutionary timescale. Our spine isn't that much different from our primate ancestors, who had horizontal backs, and therefore adapted to carry weight in a very different way. This is the root cause of most of our back problems.
The Short Answer
Upright standing is a very recent condition for humans on an evolutionary timescale. Our spine isn't that much different from our primate ancestors, who had horizontal backs, and therefore adapted to carry weight in a very different way. This is the root cause of most of our back problems. However, our instincts haven't changed much since then either. Bending over to pick something up feels natural because that's basically the position our ancestors were in all the time..
Analysis
Key Concepts: Different, ancestors, upright
This explanation focuses on different, ancestors, upright and spans 78 words across 5 sentences. The depth is typical for Human Body questions (category average: 69 words), striking a balance between accessibility and completeness.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “Upright standing is a very recent condition for humans on an evolutionary timescale.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 5 connected points.
How This Compares in Human Body
Ranked #174 of 500 Human Body questions by answer depth (top 36%). This falls in the detailed tier — above average depth. The explanation goes beyond surface-level but keeps things accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why need to be taught to lift with our legs and not our back? is lifting with our back a learned behaviour that we need to unlearn?
Upright standing is a very recent condition for humans on an evolutionary timescale. Our spine isn't that much different from our primate ancestors, who had horizontal backs, and therefore adapted to carry weight in a very different way. This is the…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Human Body questions?
This is an above-average answer at 78 words, ranked #174 of 500 Human Body questions by depth. The key concepts covered are different, ancestors, upright.
What approach does this answer take to explain need to be taught to lift with our legs and not our back? is?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and contrasting perspectives across 78 words. It is categorized under Human Body and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.