"Aerobic exercise" it says in the TA. Why not to the thing properly? 500 kCal per day, maximum 70% heart rate... Was this the "old ladies of both sexes" method of exercise?
For starters, they should have walked to the sports centre. It is unfortunately a sad world we live in. My father in-law once ran a major sports centre in the UK. He tells me that the most important aspect of success is to have the parking lot just in front of the entrance.
These people went from doing no exercise it would appear, to performing a tiny amount of exercise. I am certain that had they added:
"Walk 3 km (2 miles for part the world) to the sport centre, do your little thing, walk 3 km to get back home afterwards. Walk to work, walk back from work."
the results would have been more impressive.
Obligatory schooling was introduced in my native Sweden in 1842. It was then decided that school should start at 7. Not because of the maturity of the children, but because it was decided that a 7-year old can walk, alone, 3 km to school, and 3 km back. This would be too much for a 6-year old. Therefore, by starting school at 7, much fewer school buildings would need to be constructed.
Note to UK readers:
The frequency of paedophilia was most likely just as large as it is now. People, for some reason, decided not to introduce a police state at the same time though. Maybe their risk assessments were a bit more realistic in those times.