We’re moving less and less these days. We sit in cars and trains, at our desks, and on our couches. Even when we do exercise, we often stick to the same routines week after week, month after month. Movement training is a way to break out of this sedentary lifestyle and incorporate more varied and functional movements into your life. It can help you become stronger, more agile, and better coordinated. Moreover, it can also improve your balance and reduce your risk of injury (5). This type of training involves doing exercises that challenge your balance, coordination, and flexibility. Read on to find out more about movement training and how it can benefit you.
What Is A Movement Training Program?
Movement training is an unlimited, holistic approach to physical fitness that considers all aspects of the body in motion.
This type of training is based on the belief that the body is designed to move, and that movement is essential for overall health and well-being.
There are many different types of movement training, but they all share some common elements. These include basic movements like squatting, lunging, pushing, and pulling.
They also involve more complex movements that challenge your balance and coordination, such as single-leg exercises, rotational movements, and plyometrics (jumping exercises).
What Are The 7 Basic Movements?
There are 7 basic movements that the human body is designed to do. Performing these movements regularly can help you stay healthy and fit.
These are:
- Pull movements: These involve moving your body or an object towards you, such as pull-ups, rows, and bicep curls.
- Push movements: These involve moving your body or an object away from you, such as push-ups, overhead presses, and tricep extensions.
- Hinge movements: These involve moving your body or an object around a fixed point, such as deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and lunges.
- Squat movements: These involve moving your body or an object down and then back up again, such as bodyweight squats, goblet squats, and barbell squats.
- Lunge movements: These involve taking a large step forward and then lowering your body down until both legs are bent at 90 degrees, such as forward lunges, reverse lunges, and side lunges.
- Rotational movements: These involve moving your body or an object around a central point, such as medicine ball twists and wood chops.
- Gait movements: These involve moving your body from one point to another, such as walking, running, and sprinting.
Read More: Super Slow Strength Training: What It Is And Why You Should Try It
What Are The Benefits Of Movement Training?
Movement training can help you in many ways, such as:
1. Improve Your Overall Health
Regular movement training can help improve your overall health in many ways. For starters, it can help reduce your risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
In addition, movement training can help improve your mental health. It can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression (1).
2. Boost Your Energy Levels
If you’re looking for a natural energy boost, movement training can help. Regular exercise has been shown to increase energy levels and improve overall fatigue (1).
Because it’s easy to incorporate the basics of movement training into your day-to-day life, you’ll likely find that you have more energy to do the things you enjoy.
3. Improve Your Physical Fitness
Movement training can help improve your physical fitness in several ways.
For starters, it can help increase your strength and endurance. In addition, it can help improve your flexibility and coordination. All of these factors make you a better athlete and help reduce your risk of injury (1).
4. Enhance Your Quality Of Life
Regular movement training can also enhance your quality of life. For starters, it can help you sleep better. In addition, it can help reduce pain, improve joint function, and increase mobility (1).
Think of it as taking your body back to the basics as you’re allowing it to move more as it was designed to.
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How Do I Start Training For Movement?
Beginners should start with basic movements and progress to more complex ones as their fitness level improves.
Take up some of these activities as part of your movement training:
Dance
Dance is a great way to get your body moving. Different styles incorporate different types of movements, so you can choose one that fits your interests and fitness level.
Yoga
Yoga is a great way to improve your flexibility and coordination. Beginner yoga classes are typically slow-paced and focus on basic poses (6).
Pilates
Pilates is a great way to improve your core strength and posture. It’s specifically designed to target the deep abdominal muscles (3).
Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. It’s a great way to improve your coordination and balance (7).
Parkour
Parkour is a French discipline that involves moving your body through an environment in the most efficient way possible. It’s a great way to improve your agility, strength, and speed (8).
Wushu
Wushu is a Chinese martial art that encompasses a wide range of movements. It’s a great way to improve your flexibility, coordination, and balance (9).
Read More: Front Delts Workout: An Expert Guide On Anterior Deltoid Training
Calisthenics
Calisthenics is a form of exercise that uses your body weight as resistance. It’s a great way to improve your strength and endurance (2).
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a great way to improve your flexibility, coordination, and balance. It’s also a great workout for your entire body (4).
Create A Movement Training Flow
Aside from the activities listed above, there are moves you can put together to create a flow. A flow is a continuous sequence of movements that string together various techniques.
Foot-Hand Crawl
The foot-hand crawl is a great way to improve your coordination and balance.
How to do it:
- Start in a push-up position with your feet and hands shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your back straight, begin crawling forward by alternating your feet and hands.
- As you get better at the move, try crawling backward or sideways. You can also try crawling with just your hands or just your feet.
Handstand
The handstand is a great way to improve your upper-body strength and coordination.
How to do it:
- Start by kicking up into a handstand against a wall. Make sure your hands are shoulder-width apart and that your feet are together.
- Hold the position for as long as you can. As you get better at the move, try holding the handstand away from the wall.
Bridge
The bridge is a great way to improve your core strength and flexibility.
How to do it:
- Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent.
- Raise your hips off the ground until your thighs and torso are in line with each other. Hold the position for a few seconds and then lower your hips back to the starting position.
- As you get better at the move, try holding the bridge for longer periods. You can also try raising one leg off the ground while in the bridge position.
Plank
The plank is a great way to improve your core strength and stability.
How to do it:
- Start by lying on your stomach with your elbows and forearms flat on the ground.
- Raise your body off the ground, keeping your back straight. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold the position for as long as you can.
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Cartwheel
The cartwheel is a great way to improve your coordination and balance.
How to do it:
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the waist and place your hands on the ground. Kick one leg up into the air and then follow with the other leg. As you kick your legs up, push off with your hands to help propel your body into the air.
- As you get better at the move, try cartwheeling without touching your hands to the ground. You can also try variations of the cartwheel such as the one-handed cartwheel or the no-handed cartwheel.
Split
The split is a great way to improve your flexibility.
How to do it:
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Slowly lower your body into a split, keeping your legs as straight as possible. Hold the position for a few seconds.
Tips For Success In Movement Training
Starting a new movement training routine can be daunting, so here are a few tips to help you get started:
1. Work With The Basics
The best movement training program is centered on the basic human movements: squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, etc. So, thinking of how each exercise you do can help you improve your performance in one of these basic movements is a great way to start.
2. Vary Your Training
Don’t do the same thing all the time! Mix up your training by adding in new exercises, trying different tempos, and varying the amount of resistance you use.
Be careful not to overwhelm yourself by adding too much too soon, though. It’s important to find a balance that challenges you without leading to burnout.
3. Focus On Quality
It’s better to do a few quality reps than to try and do too many and end up sacrificing form. Remember, the goal is to train your body to move well, so focus on quality over quantity.
4. Listen To Your Body
Movement training should never hurt. If you’re feeling pain, either back off the intensity of the exercise or stop altogether and consult a healthcare professional.
5. Have Fun!
The best movement training programs are ones that you enjoy and can stick with long-term. So find an exercise routine that you look forward to and have fun with.
The Bottom Line
Movement training is a great way to improve your overall fitness and well-being. It can help you become stronger, more flexible, and more coordinated. Plus, it’s a fun way to get moving! So, get out there and start training! However, remember that upon the occurrence of discomfort, it is best to take a pause or put a stop to your movements altogether and consult your doctor.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- Benefits of Exercise (2017, medlineplus.gov)
- Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness (2018, nih.gov)
- Everything You Want to Know About Pilates (2020, clevelandclinic.org)
- Gymnastics Experience Enhances the Development of Bipedal-Stance Multi-Segmental Coordination and Control During Proprioceptive Reweighting (2021, nih.gov)
- Healthy Movements (2013, nih.gov)
- Impact of 10-weeks of yoga practice on flexibility and balance of college athletes (2016, nih.gov)
- The Blows and Capoeira Movements From the Caricatures of Calixto Cordeiro (2020, nih.gov)
- What Makes Parkour Unique? A Narrative Review Across Miscellaneous Academic Fields (2022, nih.gov)
- Wushu Nanquan training is effective in preventing obesity and improving heart function in youth (2018, nih.gov)
