Lesley Goes Outside with MovNat

I (Lesley) love learning new ways to get and stay fit.  So, this weekend I took a MovNat (www.MovNat.com) workshop at Papago Park.  MovNat is the idea of moving naturally.  The idea is simple in thought, but when was the last time you climbed UP a slide, played tag, or climbed a tree?  That’s exactly what I did with the instruction of Brian Tabor.  

I’ve got to say, it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.  The day was cool, overcast, and a little windy (not typical for Phoenix).  We began our warm up by closing our eyes.  Brian told us to just do movements we’ve never put our body in before – so I rolled and tumbled and stretched.  It’s freeing (and thankfully everyone had their eyes closed too).   

Then we learned to walk.  We followed Brian’s lead and pretended to walk over electrified fences and through narrow caves and under barbed wire.  The key was to visualize and put effort into whatever we did.   Visualization translates well into any exercise that you try.  Have you ever been so tired that you though you couldn’t do one more pull-up or one more sit-up?  Next time visualize what would happen if you didn’t!  Pretend you’d fall into lava or you were trying to rescue a loved one.  Bet you’d find that extra strength then!

We continued the day learning ground work – rolling in the grass and learning to effectively move our bodies from various positions.  I found several of the techniques we learned will be valuable in opening up the hips for many of the lifts we do.  There is a great hip opener for Turkish get-ups too.  Can’t wait to show Kevin that one!

Working on all fours came next.  We ran like bears, hopped like frogs, crawled like crabs and ran like werewolves.  Sometimes the best way to move is on hands and feet.  Have you ever tried climbing Camelback Mountain?  If so, you’ll know what I mean.

Another portion of our day consisted of moving people and things around – moves that can be very practical in every-day life.  I loved seeing the guys’ faces when I lifted one of them on my shoulders and walked him around the park.  If I was out hiking and someone broke a leg, now I know I could likely get them to safety.  As with all the training, knowing the proper technique and figuring out how to mentally break the barrier of “I can’t do that” opens the world to so many new and rewarding challenges.

We didn’t stay on the ground the entire day.  Brian taught us the best way to climb trees.  This one I have to keep practicing. But I did climb a pole with my bare feet!  And I walked on a railing too.  These are two things that I never would have imagined even attempting.  But with Brian’s direction, the skills aren’t actually as hard as you’d think.  Maybe I'll try Parkour next.

I know I’m leaving out so many things I learned, like balancing and jumping and breathing.  But I suggest that the next time the class comes to our area, try MovNat.  It’s for all fitness levels and it really opens your eyes to the fact that the world is our gym – we just need to re-learn how to move in it naturally.