Natural Movements: Reclaiming Our Primal Physicality for Better Health

Our modern lives often strip away the natural movements our bodies were built for, leading to numerous health issues. In this second part of our Primal Health series, we explore how integrating primal physicality into our daily routines can restore our health and well-being.

Our ancestors didn’t need gyms or fitness classes; their daily lives were their workouts. Walking, running, climbing, and squatting were integral to their survival. These natural movements are crucial for maintaining our musculoskeletal health, supporting joint function, muscle strength, and overall posture. By reclaiming these primal movements, we can improve our physical health in ways that align with our evolutionary design.

Understanding the biomechanics of natural movements reveals why these activities are essential for our physical health:

Joint Health: Natural movements maintain joint health by keeping the synovial fluid—the lubricant of our joints—circulating. This fluid reduces friction between cartilage and other tissues, supporting smooth and pain-free movement. For instance, squatting is a fundamental resting position that has been largely abandoned in modern society. This simple act promotes hip mobility, knee stability, and can prevent common ailments like osteoarthritis.

Muscle Function: Unlike isolated gym exercises that target single muscles, natural movements engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Walking and running, for example, involve a coordinated effort from the legs, core, and even upper body, mimicking the varied and dynamic motions our muscles evolved to perform. This holistic engagement enhances functional strength and endurance. Crawling, often overlooked, is a powerful full-body exercise that engages the shoulders, arms, legs, and core. Additionally, crawling has significant neurological benefits; it enhances cross-lateral movement patterns, which are crucial for brain development and coordination. This movement stimulates both hemispheres of the brain, improving neuroplasticity, coordination, and even cognitive function.

Posture and Spinal Health: Modern sedentary lifestyles lead to poor posture and related issues like chronic back pain. Natural movements, such as climbing and stretching, encourage proper alignment of the spine and pelvis. These activities also promote core stability, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy, upright posture. Movements like climbing require complex motor patterns that enhance neuromuscular coordination and proprioception.

Integrating natural movements into your routine doesn’t require a complete lifestyle overhaul. Here are some exercises and activities that mimic these primal actions:

Walking and Running: Aim for a mix of walking and running throughout your week to build endurance and strength. These are the most basic forms of natural movement that keep our cardiovascular system robust and muscles engaged. Walking is a low-impact activity that can be done daily, promoting cardiovascular health, reducing stress, and enhancing mood. Running, on the other hand, builds cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength, particularly in the lower body. Alternating between walking and running can provide balanced conditioning and prevent overuse injuries.

Reflecting on our hunter-gatherer ancestors, their physical activities were naturally varied and aligned with survival needs. Some days involved long hours of walking to gather food, find water, or explore new territories, which helped develop endurance and stamina. Other days demanded short bursts of intense activity, such as sprinting to hunt down prey or escape from predators. This combination of steady, moderate-intensity walking and high-intensity running or sprinting optimized their physical capabilities, supporting a well-rounded, resilient physiology.

This evolutionary pattern of varied movement not only built a robust cardiovascular system but also enhanced muscle coordination, joint health, and metabolic efficiency. By mimicking these ancestral activities, we can achieve similar benefits, creating a balanced approach to fitness that honors our evolutionary heritage.

Climbing and Crawling: Activities like rock climbing or even simple bear crawls can significantly improve upper body strength, coordination, and agility. For our hunter-gatherer ancestors, climbing and crawling were essential survival skills. Climbing allowed them to navigate rough terrain, escape predators, and access food sources such as fruits in trees. This movement engages muscles throughout the body, particularly in the back, shoulders, and arms, while also requiring mental focus and problem-solving skills.

Crawling, a fundamental movement from infancy remains a functional exercise that enhances core stability, shoulder mobility, and hip flexibility. One can imagine our ancestors using crawling to move stealthily or navigate through dense underbrush. This primal movement not only builds physical strength but also stimulates the brain, improving coordination and neural connections. By incorporating climbing and crawling into our routines, we can develop a more comprehensive, functional fitness that echoes the dynamic, versatile physicality of our forebears.

Yoga and Functional Stretching: Practices like yoga focus on flexibility, balance, and core strength. Many yoga poses mimic natural resting and movement positions that improve overall body mechanics and reduce the risk of injury. Yoga also promotes mindfulness and stress reduction, contributing to mental well-being. Functional stretching involves dynamic movements that prepare the body for physical activity, enhance flexibility, and improve joint range of motion.

Functional Training: Exercises such as lunges, squats, push-ups, and pull-ups mimic natural movements and can be easily incorporated into daily routines. These exercises build functional strength that translates to better performance in everyday activities. Lunges and squats strengthen the lower body and improve balance, push-ups enhance upper body strength and core stability, and pull-ups develop back and arm muscles. Functional training is efficient and adaptable, suitable for various fitness levels.

Consider John, a 45-year-old accountant, who spent most of his day sitting at a desk. After experiencing chronic back pain and stiffness, and regression of his fitness and mobility despite regular training (weights/hard running/CrossFit style), he decided to incorporate natural movements into his daily routine. John started with frequent walking breaks at work, added a weekly session of rock climbing, and included bodyweight sessions at home with the PrimalThenics App as well as the Primal Pliability class at the PrimalThenics Studio. Over six months, John had a significant reduction in his back pain, improved muscle tone, and an overall increase in energy levels, with a bonus side effect of a great deal of weight loss. His story is not unique to him, as the movement style of PrimalThenics has improved the fitness and mobility of countless people like him over the years. Have a look here: click here >>

Reclaiming our primal physicality through natural movements can have profound impacts on our health. By integrating simple exercises and energy system work that mimics our ancestral activities, we can support joint health, muscle function, and proper posture. Stay tuned for the next installment in our Primal Health series, where we'll explore the benefits of a primal diet and how it can complement your physical routines.

Stay Fit and primal

Chriso