Primal Movements: The Foundation of Functional Fitness
In the modern world, where we spend countless hours sitting at desks, driving cars, and interacting with screens, our bodies have become accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle. This lack of movement has led to a rise in chronic health conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Remember, you are not lazy – our modern lifestyles simply don’t place the physical demands upon us that our ancestors had to face in order to survive. The stresses upon us are in different forms, and it’s important to therefore make a conscious effort to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, in a way that our ancestors simply didn’t have to.
We are designed really to conserve energy, so unnecessary expenditure of energy is avoided. This is all very well in an environment where food is scarce and we must move a significant amount for survival. Unfortunately, in the modern world, where food is often plentiful and we are not required to move much during the course of a day, this means that we do need to accept that getting enough movement will present a challenge. We need to find ways to incorporate movement every day.
Traditional exercise routines often focus on isolation movements, which target specific muscles without engaging the entire body. While isolation movements can be beneficial for muscle development, they often neglect the natural movement patterns that our bodies are designed to perform.
Enter primal movements, the fundamental building blocks of human movement. These movements are ingrained in our DNA, having been essential for survival throughout our evolutionary history. They include:
Squatting: The act of lowering the body towards the ground, as if sitting in a chair.
Bending: The act of flexing the spine, such as when picking up an object from the floor.
Lunging: The act of stepping forward with one leg, bending both knees.
Pushing: The act of extending the arms to press against an object, such as when opening a door.
Pulling: The act of drawing the arms towards the body, such as when rowing a boat.
Rotating: The act of twisting the torso, such as when turning to look behind you.
Locomotion: The act of moving the body from one place to another, such as walking, running, or climbing.
Remember, consistency is key. Aim to incorporate primal movements into your exercise routine at least 2-3 times per week. With regular practice, you’ll notice a significant improvement in your strength, flexibility, and overall wellbeing. You can incorporate primal movements into your daily routine through movement snacking.
If you would like support to incorporate primal movements into your life, why not sign up for Primal March? It's completely free and you can jump in any time during the month of March.
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To find out more about primal movements and movement snacking, tune into the Live Yourself Better podcast.
Live Yourself Better podcast Series 1 Episode 6: Mindful Eating, Primal Movement & Movement Snacking
What do the concepts of mindful eating, primal movement and movement snacking mean for you, and how can these concepts be especially helpful to understand and implement during the perimenopause and menopause?
To listen on Amazon Podcasts please click link here
To listen on Google music please click link here
To listen on Spotify please click link here
As a qualified personal trainer, with a specialism in women's health, I can help you to create a sustainable and realistic lifestyle fitness plan, taking into account the time that you have available, and the things that you enjoy doing.
Why not contact me to arrange a free explorer call, where we can discuss your needs, goals, and how I can support you to make lasting changes in your life.
Best wishes
Tonia