Functional movement vs. Fitness movement
I wonder sometimes when the moment happened in human history. Surely, having made it as far as we have, a standard for movement has always been an essential part of our heritage. How we were to move as humans was always a part of the code. Movement was in everything we did from building, foraging, celebrating, defending and surviving but, now we live in a world where those movement burdens have been lifted. And though I am thankful for that we have to ask ourselves, in our current climate without those movement burdens, what does it mean to move like a human?
Species vs. Specialization:
“Homo sapiens first, Homo motus, the mover, second, Homo specialitas, the specialist, third” – Ido Portal
At Body Heal, we have begun to look at these ideas to define how Body Move utilizes the functional intelligence of the human body to create a new standard for movement in our culture. In the fitness industry, most of our movement options revolve around specializations. Examples include cross fit, yoga, spin class, Pilates, Zumba, martial arts, and the list goes on. Each of these options bears different demands on the body which is what makes them specialized, yet we assume all of them are great for our bodies, and that they contribute to our overall movement improvement, otherwise they would not be offered to the general population.
What if I told that these options were potentially dysfunctional? What if I told you that each person, depending on what they can do with their bodies, may be at risk for injury with any of the fitness options available? There is a formula for human movement, one that defines what we should be doing in our body as a basis of general health, rather than specialized potential, unfortunately for us, it is often explored only when things break down, injury occurs, and pain is present. No matter your health, the following movements can be evaluated to determine how you’re doing as a homo motus:
- Squat
- Hinge
- Lunge
- Rotation
- Push
- Pull
- Step (Gait)
These 7 elements exist in everything we do as humans, but lack in essence once specialization occurs. This is why we believe: human being first, human mover second, human specialist third.
How can Body Heal help?
Do we believe doing yoga or cross fit is a poor idea? Of course not! Moving is always better than not moving, unless moving leads to injury, insult, or isolation. At Body Heal it is our goal to teach people the foundation of movement so they can avoid the need to undergo recovery. Whether you are new to movement, or hitting obstacles in your current pursuits, Body Heal is here to help guide you towards your best self! Movement guidance may be offered as part of a bodywork session at Body Heal Therapy
