The Practice of Natural Movement: Reclaim Power, Health, and Freedom

[Starshine]

Today has been released this most expected book from the Natural Movement community! Thought I'd share with you in case anyone is interested.
https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Nat...411489609&mc_cid=07691f7486&mc_eid=ef980c805f

Erwan Le Corre, creator of the world-renowned fitness system MovNat, is on a mission to reintroduce natural movement to our modern lives with the most ancient movement skill set: walking, running, balancing, jumping, crawling, climbing, swimming, lifting, carrying, throwing, catching, and self-defense.

Try to imagine an out-of-shape tiger stepping on an exercise machine to get a workout. It doesn't make any sense, does it? Wild animals simply move the way nature intended, and they become powerful, healthy, and free in the process. So why should it be any different for us? We have become "zoo-humans," separated from nature and living movement-impoverished, unnatural lifestyles. As a result, we are suffering physically, mentally, and spiritually. Exercise has become artificial and boring--a chore, if not a punishment. We are training parts of our bodies, not the whole, and we have lost our drive for movement. What we need is not a better understanding of exercise physiology or more variety in fitness programs and modalities. What we need is simplicity, meaning, purpose, inspiration, and enjoyment. We need to get back to natural movement. In The Practice of Natural Movement, Le Corre demonstrates our innate and versatile ability to perform practical and adaptable movements. With countless techniques and movement variations, as well as strategies for practicing anytime and anywhere, he will inspire you to build a naturally strong and flexible body and to form yourself anew into a mindful, skillful, and physically capable human being.

I discovered Movnat and Erwan LeCorre through a video Laura shared and appreciated some years ago:

I can attest Movnat is really worth it as a method, I've not read the book though I know the material fairly well since I became a Level 2 certified trainer in 2016. It was already a discussion when would that book be available at the time.
To get an idea of the panel of movements to be (re)discovered you can go on their youtube channel here: MovNat

The book is quite expensive, though I'm not surprised, their workshops and certifications also are. But relative to the fitness industry, I guess they just inserted themselves on the marketplace. I just can't afford it for now (as most of their products or services ) but will at some point!

Anyway, I learned a lot through this method and my teacher manuals. I never really was into fitness, nor appealed to going to the gym. It made me discover movement in a new, fun and empowering way. I am grateful for that. May it serve you too!

 

[Matthew]

I had a look at this as the premise appeals to me. However, the implementation less so. Perhaps I am being overly cynical but it seems to me that some people slap a snazzy name on a concept in an attempt to corner the market and make their fortune. One of the reviews on Amazon [all of which are pretty scathing] recommended to stick with Katy Bowman's work instead. Her book "Move our DNA: Restore your health through natural movement Expanded Edition" is much cheaper and at an impulse-ish amount for me to pick up on Kindle so I did. My doctor recently advised me to walk regularly which I have been doing. I have found that beneficial and have noticed that I enjoy the simple act of moving my body after sitting for a prolonged period of time. My body feels good when in motion. It is almost as if my body is saying: "Hey stupid! Get out of your head, away from your keyboard, off your **** and get moving. This is good!" Speaking of which, time for me to get up!

 

[Starshine]

I discovered Katy Bowman's work through them, as they've been doing a workshop together. Here is an interesting review of their encounter: United By Movement: 3 Lessons Learned From Two Complementary Movement Systems - MovNat: Natural Movement Fitness
Really like her approach, but also think it's lots of businesses here. Good for them if they can make a living out of it.

The thing with Movnat is that you really (re)discover moves you may have not done since you were a small kid, along with other helpful moves that kids will love, it also makes it a good thing to share with them, they love movement. The systemization makes it an available approach for beginners. It is useful and practical as it is not aimed to make you specialized in any way but potentially adaptable to a wider range of situations. Winning flexibility, strength and balance is empowering.

What I really liked about it is that you don't isolate muscle groups, you work with your whole body to become more mobile and it really helps.
Those two approaches are compatible in my view.
Some people can do 10 pull-ups but don't know the different ways to go above a bar. The idea behind that is to get as much of our potential out. How to breathe when you exercise, How to crawl under that table, or if you're injured, or on a down/uphill, how to get up and down without your hands, how to fall, how to climb, how not to be defenseless when on the ground, how to transition from one position to another, how balance helps the whole body, how to carry someone or something, those are potentially life-saving skills to have.
The emphasis is on proper form before going to the next steps. Some exercises are really demanding, one of the core bases is to learn how to crawl. Foot hand crawling is one of the best exercises for the whole body if one is able to.

Now, Katy Bowman also emphasizes to adapt your environment to move more and more often. I like exercise snacks better than full regular sessions 2 or 3 times a week. I lack the discipline to do that. For now, it's been three weeks of bodyweight HIIT, 10 minutes a week, and I'm so okay with that.
But sometimes, when I feel like it, I know I can move in a wide variety of way, feel comfortable doing so and it's more of a mobility and balance workout. I feel capable as a result of learning those potentials.

In any way, I know a lot can be found through their youtube channel and online for those interested, maybe I shouldn't have posted it here knowing that I didn't even read it and just assume it is a good read. Maybe it should be put elsewhere and I apologize if that post seems inappropriate.