The
Movement Method™
Frequently Asked
Questions
Q:
What is The Movement Method?
A:
The Movement Method™ is an easy-to-learn, efficient, and versatile
approach to health and fitness. It’s based on scientific principles
and the biomechanical and physiological requirements of the human body.
Q:
What do you mean when you say that it’s a “versatile approach
to health and fitness?”
A:
Because The Movement Method does not stipulate an exact sequence of movements,
it is less of a specific “program” and more of an “approach”
to health and fitness, appropriate for just about everyone and easily
modifiable. This versatility allows for the client to choose the sequence
of movements and the intensity with which she will train depending on
how she is feeling on any given day. By being modifiable, The Movement
Method accommodates all physical abilities and skill levels, many rehabilitative
needs, and every person’s unique preferences. In this way, it offers
structure so that all biomechanical and physiological fitness needs are
met as efficiently as possible.
Q:
What do you hope to accomplish with your clients?
A:
My goal is to teach my clients how best to recognize what their body requirements
are on a given day. Then it’s just a matter of them ordering the
basic sequence of movements around those needs and controlling the intensity
of the training. Ideally, after working with me and learning The Movement
Method, I’d like to see as many of my clients as possible no longer
need me to assist them. Put another way, I don’t want to give them
a fish to eat; rather, I want to teach them how to fish, so they can eat
for life. This approach will help keep them moving for a lifetime.
Q:
Why is it important that your clients learn how to move (or fish) for
life?
A:
If we want to enable healthy movement as we grow older, then we must routinely
care for our joints and muscles. By routinely moving the major joints
in a systematic way—and subsequently the major muscles that cause
them to move—we can ensure that we’ll be able to move adaptively
throughout our lifespans. This will also help us avoid the chronic conditions
that are currently affecting so many people.
Q:
The Movement Method helps us avoid diseases?
A:
Definitely! Humans today are not as active as we once were when physical
labor was part of our daily lives. In the modern era, we simply don’t
move enough. This is why we are seeing such an increase in the prevalence
of obesity and numerous other chronic conditions. Heart disease alone
has been the number one killer of both men and women for the last 85 years.
Science is quite clear about the roll of physical activity in avoiding
heart disease, obesity, and a host of other chronic conditions that are
currently affecting people at younger and younger ages.
Q:
Who is The Movement Method for?
A:
The Movement Method is for people of all ages and abilities—children
through seniors. It’s effective because the program can be easily
modified according to individual needs and preferences.
Q:
How is it different from a typical exercise program?
A:
Unlike a typical exercise program, The Movement Method emphasizes joint
movement more than muscle movement. This is not because muscle movement
and muscle development is unimportant, but because an approach that focuses
on joint movement is simply easier to learn and easier to perform than
trying to keep track of all of the muscles. When you cause a joint to
articulate (move), it is because muscles are contracting. Therefore, by
articulating all of the major joints in a certain way, you are also ensuring
that all of the major muscle groups are being addressed by default.
Q:
So it’s different from a typical exercise program because it’s
all about joint movement?
A:
That’s a basic understanding. The Movement Method also places more
emphasis on body balance and symmetry, full-body integrative movements,
incremental but progressive gains in endurance, strength, and power, and
it emphasizes classic posturing to achieve this.
Q:
Yes, I’ve heard that it’s actually a lot like ballet. Is that
true?
A:
Yes and no. When the lower portion of the body is addressed, the five
basic, classic movement positions are used. These are, incidentally, also
used in ballet. However, you should not think that The Movement Method
is a dance routine; it is not. It’s about maintaining your ability
to effectively move—both fast and slow—and in an adaptive
way throughout your life, regardless of your age or current ability. That
said, The Movement Method can certainly be used with an artistic flair
and can be a wonderful routine for dancers, but you don’t have to
approach it this way. The five classic movement positions are simply the
most efficient way to achieve a full range of motion along all planes
of motion for the lower body. This is desirable if you want to train the
body in the shortest amount of time.
Q:
What do you mean when you say “full range of motion?”
A:
To help our joints and muscles become more flexible so that we can safely
engage in physical activity, it is desirable to try to achieve a moderate
stretch at every major joint. Over time, the range of motion for the stretch
will improve and the joint will become more stable. It is important only
to achieve a range of motion that you can accommodate while experiencing
mild discomfort. Pushing your limits too quickly will likely
produce an injury. Incremental progression is what proper training is
all about.
Q:
What do you mean when you say “along all planes of motion?”
A:
In addition to pushing the limits for joint range of motion, we also want
to do so according to every plane of motion that is available to a given
joint. Without getting too technical, when human beings evolved, we did
so within an environment that is subject to the laws of physics for this
particular planet—specifically, the three planes of motion that
are available to us: forward/back, left/right, up/down. Accordingly, this
produced the design of our skeletal structure and the physiology that
allows it to move. Put another way, we are all limited in how we move
by virtue of our immediate environment and the three planes of motion
available to us. Some joints, like the shoulder and hip, are quite versatile
and can move along all three planes. Others, like the knee, only can move
along a single plane of motion. Still others, like the wrist and ankle,
can move along two planes of motion. While training, we want to be thorough,
ensuring that we move every joint along every plane of motion that is
available to it. The Movement Method teaches you how to account for this
so that you can train in the most efficient manner possible.
Q:
I am athlete. Can The Movement Method help me improve?
A:
Absolutely! The Movement Method is a time-efficient approach to health
and fitness for everyone. It emphasizes incremental but progressive gains
for the joints and muscles so that they become more flexible, strong,
and powerful.
Q:
What about a human being’s need for aerobics? Does The Movement
Method help with endurance activities, too?
A:
Yes. The same principles for achieving incremental but progressive gains
applies to our cardiorespiratory needs as well as our resistance training
and flexibility needs. In fact, The Movement Method was initially designed
to address the many injuries sustained while performing typical high impact
aerobic routines, such as jogging long distances. Make no mistake, high
impact activities are not the problem; our traditional approach to them
is what has caused injuries and has led people to think that they are
boring.
Q:
I really need to lose about 80 pounds. Can The Movement Method help me
achieve my goals?
A:
Yes it can. And if you stick with the program, it can help you keep the
weight off for good. This answer also applies to overweight and obese
children, too.
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