Movement is Life
Personal Trainer
Paul O'Brien
Movement – what does that word mean? A basic dictionary definition would be ‘the change in position relative to a fixed point’. That’s true, but it doesn’t even come close to expressing the true miracle of movement in my book.
Of course movement is a science. Elements of physics, biology and chemistry are all involved in the execution of any movement pattern. These elements are remarkable in their own right, as a study of the biomechanics of human movement will testify to. There is so much more to movement though and so many reasons why we should explore it, understand it and perform it continually.
I also consider movement to be an art form. I’m not talking here about forms of dance, gymnastics or a masterfully executed sporting discipline. I refer to basic movement itself. When we move, we participate in the dance of life. We allow the self-expression of our bodies. The truth is, movement is not just in our DNA, it is the very raison d’être of that DNA. We are built to move, to express ourselves and live our emotional, mental and spiritual lives through the medium of our physical body. This is art in its highest form. And we are all artists!
If only we could understand this and live this way! We live in a technologically advanced age, blessed with the capability to enhance the lives of billions. Yet we also live in a world where chronic conditions such as cancers, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders kill millions of our fellow humans annually. Technology has both blessed and cursed us. Or, to be truthful, we have cursed ourselves through our application of the very technology we have developed to bless our lives.
We live increasingly sedentary lives, partly associated with our use of technology by way of computers, TVs and games systems. We are sicker, I believe, in great part because of how we have applied technology to the mass production of highly processed foods that our bodies are not designed to cope with.
Less time to move
Our lives are also busier, so we have less time to move. This has led to a downgrading of our natural desire to move, these days pigeon-holed into its new form - ‘exercise’! Get your 30 minutes a day we are told – do this, do that, lift this.....and that. Don’t get me wrong, I believe exercise has a place, allowing people to explore the mastery of their physical bodies. But ‘exercise’ must again be made subordinate to ‘movement’.
How do we get back to a paradigm of ‘movement’ and allow the true expression of our humanity through it? There is a sea change required at national and global levels, perhaps a global leadership body akin to the World Health Organisation (WHO) or perhaps a name change of the same organisation to the World Movement Organisation – that’s how important this is!
On an individual level, here are some solutions you can introduce to re-establish a personal philosophy of the joy of movement:
Play like a child every day. Take some time out to do the things you enjoyed as a child. Climb a tree, play human wheelbarrows, roll down a hill or play in the back yard with the kids. Don’t question it, just give it a try!
Spend ten minutes every day in silence just tuning into your body. Feel your breath, observe your heart beat, feel the energy flowing through your muscles, think about the miracle and complexity of merely sitting on the chair.
Educate yourself about how your body moves. Check out your kids’ school books and turn to the anatomy section, or do a course or learn about your body online.
Try a new skill or discipline – book a dance class or lesson, find an adult gym class (send me the details!), do yoga.
Set a beeper on your watch or phone to remind you to move every 30 minutes. This is especially important if you work in sedentary job. Stand up, stretch, squat, rotate, lunge, push-up or do whatever you want. Just move!
Paul O’Brien is a personal trainer and life coach based in Westport.
