by Liz Bragdon at Our Place Studio
It’s official: we are more overweight, more unhappy, more stressed, and more unhealthy than any generation in modern history. At the same time, our culture is oversaturated with diet advice, diet food, fitness gadgets, expensive exercise machines, and “state-of-the art” fitness facilities. What’s wrong with this picture?
Many have been asking this question, and popular response has birthed the real food and organics movements, holistic health movements, and the DIY, sustainable living, and Green Energy movements, to name a few. Not surprisingly, it has also generated the Green Fitness movement, which encompasses a natural approach to exercise, food, and lifestyle, as, ultimately, our health is dependent on all of these factors.
MovNat, which focuses on natural movement physical education, encourages you to move like the human animal was born to move (and the way children do, naturally). Our natural human movement abilities include: running, walking, crawling, climbing, jumping, balancing, swimming, lifting and carrying, throwing and catching, pushing and pulling. Under these broad movement categories fall infinite numbers of movement combinations and variations that work together to build stamina, strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and power and can be adapted to suit any age or fitness level. You can practice in a gym, in your yard, a local park – anywhere that inspires you to explore your movement skills. Being in nature is especially rewarding, inviting mindfulness and asking you to adapt to meet the environment’s demands, mentally and physically. Being in nature also increases focus and calm, dissipates mental and physical stress, and boosts your immune system. The best part? It’s fun – a kind of invigorating, exuberant, health-building play.
Love your elliptical, spin cycle, and Body Pump? Great! Keep moving that body. But consider adding in some movement variety to expand your skillset, and increase allover strength, coordination, power, and body intelligence. You may be surprised at what you discover.
At Our Place Studio, our Certified MovNat Instructors help people reclaim their natural movement skills for healthy lifelong movement power, function, and fun. In addition to MovNat, ‘back to basics’ style training include Parkour, Primal Move, Animal Flow, Exuberant Animal, and even Kettlebell training & Crossfit boxes. Mud-runs and other obstacle races are also part of this broader movement. There’s something for everyone. Bottom line: if your current regimen is less than satisfying, it may be because it’s missing the natural, healthy fun that moving and playing like the human animal you are brings to your life. What are you waiting for? Let’s play!
Find out more about Our Place Studio at www.opcovington.com
