For Weight Loss, Better Mobility, And Glucose Control: Try MovNat

Anyone looking for a fresh approach to physical and metabolic fitness may want to explore MovNat.

MovNat is about reconnecting with the body’s natural movement capabilities, such as carrying, lifting, balancing, climbing, and crawling. This can help us adapt to our changeable environment and perform everyday activities with greater ease.

Based on the ideas that movement belongs to every human being despite age, gender, or origin, and that health depends on moving the body, MovNat emphasizes overall physical competency, mind-body awareness, and our connection with nature. Though MovNat can be practiced alone, it’s typically taught in a supportive group setting.

More About MovNat

MovNat is a coaching, fitness, certification system created by Erwan Le Corre for Natural Movement, and is designed to help people at all fitness levels:

Progressive Learning. The movement skills are taught in a progressive way; no one is expected to do anything they are not physically ready to try. People first learn basic techniques and then gradually increase the repetitions, distance, or complexity of each movement.

Toning and Slimming. For those wanting to become stronger and leaner, movement skills such as climbing, throwing, catching, carrying, and lifting tone the body, and most group sessions involve metabolic conditioning activities that promote weight loss.

Certified Trainers. All people breathe, but many people do not breathe efficiently until they are taught proper technique. Similarly, people perform many natural movements inefficiently until they learn a better way. This is why certified trainers are considered essential for MovNat.

Outdoors or Indoors. Practicing movements in a natural setting is the “purest” form of MovNat, but the skills are routinely taught indoors where it’s easy to scale activities for different fitness levels.




Injury Prevention Whatever other exercise or sport we enjoy, MovNat can help correct mobility or coordination deficiencies. The movements also prevent injury by increasing the body’s overall skill set, strength, and resilience.

MovNat blends well with other activities such as strength training, running, or kettlebells. Some trainers incorporate different fitness modalities into their MovNat workouts to provide novelty, and challenge. Many people find the varied activities of MovNat motivating.

Natural Movements Everyday

Even if we don’t opt to join a MovNat workshop, there are - if we put our mind to it - many ways to add more natural movement to our days. We can do more walking, take the stairs more often, stretch our arms up to touch a doorjamb as we walk through, or sit on the floor and stretch while watching TV.

We can wash our car “by hand,” use non-electric kitchen tools such as hand graters, do a few squats, or lunges while waiting for our toast to pop up, and there’s no rule that playground monkey bars and swings are for kids only.

A simple way to get started … is to re-explore your potential for natural movement. If you think about the different ways you move each day, you'll realize they are not very varied and stick to a fairly rigid pattern. Get out and find or create opportunities to move naturally (running, jumping, crawling, balancing, climbing, carrying, etc.). ~ Erwan Le Corre

Those interested in MovNat can learn more by visiting the website (link below). You’ll find a nationwide workshop schedule, a listing of MovNat trainers, online training options, and more. Also, checkout MovNat videos on YouTube by searching “movnat” or “movnat beginner.”

Source: MovNat; Find A MovNat Trainer; Mercola Fitness
Photo credit: MovNat