Running Builds Nice Butts, Naturally

Is running good for you or bad for you? The answer, the New York Times reports, can be found in a book called Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall, a runner whose literary effort explores the world of the Tarahumara Indians of
Mexico, a tribe known for running extraordinary distances in nothing
but thin-soled sandals. The author argues that running is not bad for your body, but modern day marathons are, largely because of absurd training schedules and high tech (and expensive)  running shoes that do more harm than good. The Times’ piece gets interesting when it talks about the evolutionary biology of humans, and the fact that we keep our bodies cool by sweating rather than panting, as other speedy mammals do. Consequently, we can stay cool at speeds and distances that would overheat other animals.

What about the nice butt part? Relax, vain reader, and nota bene: the Times reports that the gluteus maximus,
the largest muscle in the human body, is primarily engaged only during
running.

Read more in the New York Times.