The Benefits of Integrating a Movement-Oriented Approach to Exercise

The human body is designed to move and all its parts are designed to move interdependently.

Movement-oriented fitness modalities have gained rising popularity in recent years. This increased interest can be viewed as a departure from more conventional strength training methodologies, which generally require the simultaneous engagement of (comparatively) more muscles, as well as muscle groups; necessitating enhanced precision in movement; and resulting in increased control over the muscles, and, consequently, the whole body.

Movement is the act of changing physical location or position, or the act of having a physical location or position changed. In the context of movement-oriented exercise, bodily movement is any change in shape, in the whole body, or an area of the body, as performed by the individual to whom the body belongs. Exercise, defined as any bodily activity undertaken to maintain or improve health and physical fitness, is a distinct subset of movement; it is subsumed under movement, hence, any biomechanically sound movement pattern can be (and often has been) developed into an exercise (or series of exercises).
Conventional exercise methods, such as traditional strength training, often emphasize isolated engagement of a particular body part or area; thus, most, if not all, the strength developed is limited to that specific exercise; and, therefore, that particular body part or area, in that particular position and bodily orientation. Such strength rarely achieves cohesion with the rest of the body, especially when considering the three anatomical planes which represent the dynamic planes of motion that the human body is capable of moving through: the sagittal (lateral) plane that divides the body into left and right halves, the coronal (frontal) plane that divides the body into front and back halves, and the transverse (horizontal or axial) plane that divides the body into top and bottom halves. The isolation and engagement of the conventional approach is useful when learning, or fine-tuning, a movement pattern, and in mitigation of certain bodily asymmetries or imbalances, especially during rehabilitation from injury. Yet, such isolated engagement often lacks holism, and possesses limited efficacy. For example, conventionally, the bench press can be considered an effective exercise, since it simultaneously strengthens the chest, arm, and shoulder muscles. But, in order for an individual to gain strength that translates into realistic utility, they would have to perform multiple variations of the bench press, as well as other additional complementary exercises.
Movement-oriented exercise differs from conventional exercise in that it seeks engagement of the entire body, and engagement through the entire (biomechanically sound) ranges of motion of the body’s constituent parts; developing balance, strength, mobility, and coordination, through a fuller range of motion; promoting precision through adept control of all muscles in a manner that corresponds naturally to basic human locomotion. A movement-oriented exercise modality, such as gymnastic strength training, might approach the simultaneous strengthening of the chest, arm, and shoulder muscles, through the use of gymnastic ring exercises; with the instability of the gymnastic rings aiding in the recruitment of more muscle tissue as well as muscle groups, such as the muscles that comprise the core, and improvement of range of motion.

Such an approach encourages a more holistic innervation, nurtures freedom of movement, and offers a better foundation for any other activity, fitness-related or otherwise, that an individual might undertake. It also has the added benefit of allowing for greater isolation and engagement when necessary, since the muscles that are not primarily involved are more easily controlled; reducing overcompensatory effort by the surrounding muscles to aid in performance. Conditioning of the body toward such holistic engagement and integration also entails that the body is trained to be equally strong in all three anatomical planes; which corresponds, and thus translates, well to daily activities. For example, the activities of walking, jogging, and running, involve sagittal plane movement due to the forward motion, coronal plane movement due to the shifting of weight from one side to another, and transverse plane movement through the torso when the shoulder and opposite hip move in sympathy with one another.
The human body is designed to move and all its parts are designed to move interdependently.
While conventional exercise has its place and serves its function, movement-oriented exercises that require total body awareness and coordination can be more efficacious, entertaining, and challenging; and, therefore, motivating. Ideally, conventional exercise and movement-oriented exercise should complement one another; with conventional exercise offering a sound foundation for the development of strength, mobility, and independence, of the various parts of the body; which can then be unified, and translated, through movement-oriented exercise, into biomechanically sound interdependent movement patterns and strength.

Justin is a Sculpt, Barre, and Yoga teacher based in New York City. Various nerve injuries, debilitating chronic pains, and postural problems, led him to yoga and pilates; which profoundly impacted his body and mind. Cognizant of the relation between the physical, psychological, and emotional, Justin has a deep love for creative yet sound movement patterns that nurture proprioception and mobility, cultivate strength and balance, and instill fluidity and adaptability.