Fundamental Human Movement

Every day, new technology is developed which makes our lives easier. We don’t toil in fields anymore. We don’t milk cows by hand. We don’t dig deep ditches without the help of heavy equipment. While this has enabled humanity to achieve new heights, it has taken something from us and that is the ability to move.

If You Don’t Use It, You Lose It

As we move less, our ability to move diminishes. This has led to an epidemic of movement related maladies across the developed world. The key to restoring ourselves is remembering how to move, and then moving. If you want to get moving, it helps to know what you should be doing and how you should be doing it.

What Movement Works for Me?

Spin class is great. The treadmill, elliptical and Stair-Master are great. However, they are repetitive. They do not challenge the participant with diverse movement tasks and challenges. Repetitive cardio does burn calories and will offer a metabolic benefit, but it doesn’t necessarily improve your ability to lift a heavy box off the ground, play with your kids, or be intimate with your partner. These activities require a level of movement ability not always challenged or developed with repetitive movement.  

A workout routine that invigorates the mind and the body, should incorporate all fundamental human movements and postures. This will prepare it for challenging activities of daily living, competitive sports seasons, etc. Not every workout needs to contain every single movement, but effort should be made to include all fundamental movements on at least a weekly basis.

The Fundamental Human Movements we all need to be able to do are the Deadlift, the Squat, the Split Squat, and the single leg stance. In addition to isolating these movements, we need to be able to push, and to pull using these movements.

What’s the best way to accomplish that?

My 20-minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) classes ensure that my members get the metabolic demand and movement diversity they need all in a timely manner. For many, it was challenging to make it into HIIT. The ones who put the work in and stuck it out enjoy the variety they get in my classes and what they’re able to do outside my facility.

What if I can’t move? Am I doomed?

If you come to see me and you’re missing critical movement ability, we will do 1-on-1 Movement Restoration sessions first. How long it takes for you to achieve necessary movement competency depends on where you’re starting and the amount of effort you’re willing to put in outside my facility. It can take as few as five sessions, or it can take 40 sessions. It is time consuming and requires effort but the results are worth it! 

As a species we’re rapidly forgetting what defines us, and that is how to move. As our condition deteriorates, we are seeing the consequences. It is possible to reverse poor movement and achieve personal records even in old-age. It is going to take effort and time, but the investment pays off. Not being sick, not needing a knee replacement, not needing a lumbar fusion are all possible, but effort needs to be made to learn proper Fundamental Human Movement.

If you’re interested, and you’d like a guide on your movement journey, please feel free to reach out to me at Ben@brickmanmovement.com. If you are unable to see me, please Subscribe to my Youtube Channel. It’s not quite as good as working with me in person, but you can make amazing gains with some simple exercises that I demonstrate there.