MovNat is a method of training based on cultivating the skills and quality of physical fitness that are natural and innate to all human being, but easily lost when we get swept up by the conveniences of modern living.
Our bodies are not meant to be this disconnected from nature, living in a sterile and artificial environment. Our biology demands movement and a raw connection to nature in order to maintain balance.
If you remember being a child, running, jumping, climbing, and finding creative ways to use your environment to move? This is Natural Movement.
The Way to Reconnect with your True Nature
In MovNat, we practice and teach Natural Movement in a progressive, well-structured way, with lots of technical breakdown, and an emphasis of cultivating efficiency in movement and a mindful body awareness in practice. Anyone can benefit from improving their Natural Movement, from elite athletes, to the average person just starting (or restarting) their fitness journey. You don't need to be fit to move, but you need to move to be fit.
MovNat is a global organization that was founded by Erwan Le Corre in 2009, with thousands of practitioners worldwide to date. The vision was to create a system of fitness and physical education that trains the full spectrum of human movement skills with the goal of developing physical competence for real-world application. This system shares a common ancestor with Parkour: Methode Naturelle from which the modern military obstacle course was born. To learn more about the origins of MovNat & Parkour, check out my article about it:
The Goal of MovNat & Natural Movement Training
Natural Movement involves training practical skills that carry over into the real world. The ultimate goal of the MovNat system is to develop our efficiency in movement, restore our function and form to its natural biological balance, and become adaptable and responsive in our movement, both in physical activity and regular daily life activities.
MovNat works on the level of building robust fitness and functional strength, but also on the level of restoring balance, developing mobility, and correcting posture through the reconnecting with the movement patterns of our ancestors, necessary for maintaining vibrant health, and a high quality of life that can last as long as we live, rather than wearing us down.
The Skills of Natural Movement
MovNat includes locomotive skills:
Ground movement
Walking
Running
Balancing
Jumping
Climbing
Swimming
Manipulative skills:
Lifting
Carrying
Throwing
Catching
Combative skills:
Striking
Grappling
Practical, Functional Movement Patterns
Natural Movement fitness involves the progressive development of human movement skills. These skills include crawling, climbing, running, squatting, jumping, throwing, balancing, lifting, and more. The result of reconnecting with your body’s natural movement abilities is that everything you do will feel different. Any sports or activities you do will feel easier, mundane activities like playing with your kids, doing chores, even getting out of bed will feel like you’re in another body. A complex and adaptable practice of movement patterns clears the mind and restores the mental state to one more restful and receptive.
Your body’s response to practicing natural movement will surprise you, and the resulting peace of mind, competence, and relaxed poise will reveal to you what it feels like to be your true self.
This type of exercise is mentally engaging, challenging and fun. It is easy to develop a natural, balanced physique just by getting better at these abilities, and progressing from your starting plateau through toward the discovery of your true self.
The Workout the World Forgot
The MovNat Natural Movement training system is ultimately about utilizing the full range of natural human movement skills for fitness and physical education. It is a comprehensive, wholistic, and mindful approach, where our exercises are derived directly from the skills we are developing. It’s safe, progressive, and supports physical competence in all sports, activities, and other areas of life. This is the workout the human body was made for, and that’s what makes it fun and for everyone.
Real-World Fitness
MovNat is all about reconnecting with the movement patterns that make humans what we are. After some time out in nature, returning home, we often hear people say "back to the real world", but it's actually the other way around. Our civilized world is a co-created illusion, and the actual "real world" is what we find in nature. Many of the challenges to our health result from this disconnection with nature. Spending time in nature is helpful, but moving as nature demanded of us is also necessary to maintain balance in our bodies, especially when it comes to preventing and reversing the deterioration we see people go through in modern life. Check out the link below for a more detailed dive into Natural Movement as fitness for the real-world:
How to Start Training
MovNat provides many avenues to start your movement practice, including immersive events like workshops, retreats, and certification courses, you could work in-person with a local certified MovNat trainer, or your can direct your own training by subscribing to MovNat's email newsletter with free weekly workouts, get the e-book with 20 weeks of workouts, or try one of our more comprehensive e-courses.