How to Create a Movement Rich Life

Or, How to Move More, and Move More of You

One of my new students asked: now that I’m learning all these new exercises, how do I put them into my day? Am I supposed to do a class (recording) every day or practice sporadically throughout the day? What does a day full of movement look like? How am I supposed to integrate all this new knowledge?

People might not find it as easy to incorporate movement into their day as a movement professional can, as I get this question often. As a movement teacher I’m taking other classes (I belong to two memberships besides my own), courses (multiple at any one time), I’m planning classes, breaking down or trying movements, generally spending my work day on a mat, getting up and down as well as doing organised classes up to 3x a day.

People are eager to reap the benefits of movement and are excited about what they are learning so they want to make sure they are doing all they can. There are two ways to go about this:

1. Deliberate Movement

Deliberate movement is that which you plan for, schedule, make time for, do with deliberation or awareness. Some examples include:

• standing on one leg to brush your teeth
• using the half dome in the kitchen or bathroom
• meditating during part of the day (practice sitting)
• eating standing up or sitting on the floor
• taking a class or a partial class
• hip hinging to the counter to read the paper or computer
• using a standing desk for part of the time
• squat when you get in and out of a chair or while gardening (or picking up after your dog, cleaning the cat’s litter box)
• practicing a specific exercise when you have 10 minutes to spare
• walking instead of driving when possible
• hanging from a hanging bar around the house or in a doorframe
• Sitting on the floor or in psoas release to watch tv
• Reading in a bolstered hip extension prone position on your elbows
• putting balls or rocks on the floor under your desk for foot mobility
• taking movement breaks such as short walks around the house or block, raising your arms, looking out the window
• placing foot mobility stations around the house and garden such as river walk paths
• carrying your items in the grocery store instead of in a cart
• carrying your items in your arms instead of in a backpack or shoulder bag
• carrying your baby sometimes instead of using a device or pram
• walking up the hill instead of the stairs
• taking the stairs two at a time
• crawling sometimes instead of getting all the way up to your feet
• walking with the feet straighter on flat level sidewalks
• sitting on the floor whenever possible and getting up a different way each time
• using a mirror to check your form
• going to the gym, pool, or participating in your favourite sport or activity
• doing housework yourself
• cooking using hand tools instead of electric tools
• using a watering can instead of a hose
• shovelling with a shovel instead of a blower (or raking leaves instead of a leaf blower, a broom instead of a hose)
• resting outdoors on the ground or on the floor instead of the sofa (or with legs on the wall)
• parking far away, or parking half way and walking to the destination, getting out of the subway a stop early and walking

2. Accidental Movement

“Accidental” is not by accident, but it is extra movement you reap when you are doing what you would normally. Examples are:

• wearing minimal shoes
• wearing zero drop shoes
• walking on the grass instead of the paved path
• sitting in a backless stool instead of a chair
• organising the kitchen so that you have to reach and squat for various common items
• sleeping on a floor bed or on a lower bed
• going barefoot when safe to do so (inside or out)
• using toe spacers in your shoes
• using a squat platform at the toilet
• getting rid of some of the chairs in the house or storing them for a while
• keeping the mat and your exercise tools out and accessible
• having a dedicated space to rest/workout even just a corner that is cleared of clutter and furniture

These are all ways we can create more movement in our day.

Practicing Restorative Exercise is something we do in the studio and isn’t supposed to be as deliberate as much as “accidental.” For example, Hip List is something we practice deliberately on the mat, but we don’t deliberately practice when we walk. The List will happen to your walk more and more as you strengthen the hip muscles. You shouldn’t have to think about listing when you walk; it should just happen to an extent (greater as the muscles get stronger). So in that sense, the exercises you learn in class need to be practiced regularly enough to start to integrate naturally. This is why I teach 3 classes per week and provide the recordings permanently in the membership. Any time you want to do a class beyond the 1–3x a week you are already coming to class, they are there for practice.

If you struggle with an exercise, there are three things to keep in mind:

1. Bolster it. Bolstering is using some sort of filler to create ease in a position.
2. Break it down. Breaking down a complex move into its component parts allows you to practice the elements before you put it together.
3. Let it go. If you are still struggling after trying the two previous steps, put that exercise aside for now and return to it later. Chances are the skills required will be accessible in time.

Sometimes if you have ten minutes to kill, you can do a single exercise a few times, this adds up! For example, maybe you try the Twist a few times going back and forth, and you can try it with or without bolsters to discover the difference that makes in your body. Often students say they don’t like to practice unless I can see them, but that is not empowering you to be self sufficient. You will discover things about yourself that I might miss — I can’t be expected to know every single individual variation that comes to class! You might stumble on a bolstering variation that works perfectly for you. One of my favourite suggestions from Katy Bowman is the suggestion to “get Dian Fossey on yourself.” If you were a scientist studying your own behaviour and you noted all you observed in a little notebook — what would you discover?

Practice a different exercise every day this way. Make note in your (physical or mental) notebook about things you notice or questions that arise.

Make sure not to always do your favourite exercises — do the ones you aren’t so fond of too.

As you can see, many of the items in both the deliberate and accidental lists are about awareness, habit and behavioural changes. They require a viewpoint that sees beyond your to-do list and your obligations and looks at how you navigate your environment (and your environment itself).

Incorporating movement should come naturally, it’s our lack of awareness as to our mostly sedentary behaviour that leads to the lack of imagination as to how to move more. Even building this awareness takes time and should lead to a more permanent solution. So don’t feel guilty if you aren’t moving all day or if one day is more sedentary than another. If you make some of that sitting time “sitting differently” you are already making a change in your body, your mind and your behaviour. Small changes can make a big difference.