Take a minute and stop what you are doing. Feel the movement around and inside yourself. 

What is movement? 

This word alone has numerous meanings and that’s why I love it even more. It’s hard to describe and if it’s hard to describe, it’s hard to put a label on it. Word ‘movement’ is already a label, but because of its meaning – I tolerate this label. 

I am avoiding labels for quite some time, but when asked what I do, I need to figure out how to describe it. My latest and most often answer is that I am movement coach/teacher. My reply is short and I leave it there. If person is interested and starts asking questions and I’m answering them without going too deep in what that is. Because to understand movement, it’s much better to experience it. It’s not like you tell that I am fitness coach, personal trainer or surf instructor. I still am, but movement exceeds all of that.

Movement is everywhere

World, these days, want to take whatever is out there, squeeze it in to tiny box, label it and sell. But in ‘movement’ world, only thing you can get, is a little guidance to find your own path. Movement doesn’t have such big box to put it in. Movement is universe. As am I, you and everybody else all the time. There’s not even a milli-second that something is not moving. You and I, we are constantly dancing with the gravity. Right now you are adjusting yourself to sit/stand and hold your phone or computer just to read this.

Earth is constantly spinning around its own axis while circling around the sun. Sun in the galaxy and so on. There’s no static moment. You can try it as you want. Stop for a second and try to stand without moving at all. Freeze and just stand. Just breathe and feel. Feel the movement inside, feel it around, and feel it all the time. Does it feel good? It’s impossible to be still, even if it looks like you are from outside, but inside you can feel, how your muscles are balancing.

Dead or alive, you are always in the move. Difference is just when you are alive, you can move yourself. But when you die, you are moved by others, until your turn back to dust and still be moved as one. There’s no beginning or the end of movement. It’s constant and always happening.

Physical movement: Categories of how to move

1. Move your body

Use your range, control yourself, explore, search for your capabilities. You are human being and we were build to move. We are most complex movers thanks to evolution, but most of us are the worst.

2. Move things with your body

Create. Lift, push, pull, load range. Don’t limit yourself with ‘caveman’ style moves in perfect environment and most comfortable equipment in the gym. World is our gym and full of inventory to play with.

3. Move your body around things

Locomote, traverse, travel, dance. It’s not only walking, running, biking or etc. Don’t forget what you do before you started doing those things. How you been noticing new movements when you were a kid and had that passion to try it and learn. Do you remember how to even crawl? Do you remember how you been playing on the floor, twisting, reaching and moving yourself in many different ways? We used to be free from labels.

4. Be moved

Play. Get in contact with others. Push each other, gently. What about grappling? It feels so good to experience unknown, but also warm energy of others. We all just need to get out of narrow thinking. In which fitness industry is right now. Explore more with our bodies. With movements we all can benefit.

Movement is freedom

If you are strong and can do whatever you want to do with your body without limiting yourself – you are free. You have your physical freedom. You can run, jump, climb, balance, push, pull, traverse and the list goes on. Saying it in one word, you can MOVE. No more is limiting yourself. You are just looking for new challenges, new opportunities where to get better and stronger.

Fitness industry is full of new trendy terms such as, mobility, flexibility, balance and etc., but what that really is – just a movement strength. You can call it whatever you want to, but at the end, all comes to, how strong you are in your movements. All that flashy words describes the same thing. If your balance is weak, you need to strengthen you stabilizing muscles. If your mobility is bad, you need more strength in end range of motion. Same is for flexibility. You can be flexible as snake, but if you don’t have strength in those ranges, you can’t move. You are like a doll dropped on the ground.

Discover it

Don’t try to put labels on your movements. Try to be more mindful, listen to your body and learn more. Learn everyday, always question yourself how can you do one or another thing. Try it. Fail more. And you will discover so many opportunities to keep moving forward and becoming even more free. You will discover movement freedom.

Be free! Move!