Essential Movement for health and fitness
Would it shock you to know that some of the most popular exercises around like plank holds, biceps curls, running and burpees are really not essential for health and fitness? What is essential movement for a healthy fit body will surprise you and maybe even motivate you to exercise with more purpose.
So what is essential movement for a healthy fit body?
Essential movement is anything that is necessary for our survival and includes 7 basic movement patterns: squat, lunge, push, pull, bend, twist, and locomotion. You do these movement patterns daily but are probably not super aware of when you are doing each of these so here’s a quick list with just a few examples:
squat: sitting on a toilet, getting in a car, get up up from sitting, picking up a laundry basket
lunge: going up stairs, stepping over obstacles (dog, child’s toy, barrier, etc.), biking, hiking
push: shutting your trunk, pushing a cart or stroller, scrubbing shower or windows, tennis
pull: sweeping and mopping, gardening, getting dressed, brushing your hair
bend: loading your dishwasher, brushing your teeth, picking up after your family, golfing,
twist: grabbing something from back seat while driving, unloading dryer, dancing
locomotion: run, walk, jump, swim, hike, bike, kayak, etc.
In the quick 30 second video here you can see how these essential movements can also be a workout routine with a ball or with any other piece of fitness gear. I’m doing a continuous circuit of squats, lunges, pushups, band pulls, kickbacks, bridges, jacks and skaters. These exercises are simply more complex versions of the basics listed above and are great for most intermediate level exercisers but what if you’re a beginner and need restorative work or what if your an advanced exerciser with pain and performance needs?
Always choose movement that will address your main goals
There are thousands of squats lunges etc. that you can do so being clear about your goals is key to knowing just how simple or how sophisticated to make your 7 basic movement patterns. It all starts with your goals and then you must assess strengths and weaknesses and other needs to find the right exercises, but regardless of your goal you will always need the 7 essential movements listed above. Got questions about essential movement and your routine? Ask me in comments or download my new Essential Movement Plan.
Get Started with the Essential Movement Workout Guide or any other plans and guides in my shop here
What about movement that is trending right now?
Fitness fads will always come and go. They are based on the fitness community’s interpretations of new research and then exploited by fitness facilities, fitness publications or fitness products all for profit. Take the plank for example, an exercise that was found to be more effective than sit-ups and crunches for strengthening the transversus abdominis. Crunch haters all over the planet united and entire fitness programs were created around this one exercise that grew in popularity from 2003 until now.
Is it a good exercise? Sure!! Is it essential for health and fitness? Shockingly NO! There are countless ways to strengthen your core without planks AND without sit-ups. The same goes for all the other hyped up exercises out there that are trending, usually for profit. When in doubt stick with the essentials and sprinkle in a bit of trendy movement for variety!
