The Power of Play - Taking the FEAR Out of Movement

I was watching my son tonight while he "played". I was impressed at how he would squat down and effortlessly roll his hips into a squat progression and then back to standing - all while distracted by TV! He just moved however he wanted and his body just did whatever the Nervous System needed it to. Got internal rotation of the hip? Check. Lateral and anterior flexion of the spine? Check. Have both while rolling through the squat progression? Affirmative. There just wasn't any movement he couldn't do, but the most telling thing: There was a lot MISSING.

There was no effort, no trying hard, no focus, no concentrating, no tensing of the face or shoulders. Nothing. Just clean, effortless, efficient movement.

It dawned on me that if he was not trying to deliberately train, what was he doing? He was playing! He was enjoying and feeling each and every component of the movement. He was learning. He has a clean slate, all of the range of motion in the world, but his brain has to actively learn to use it - to learn to mix and match all sorts of joint movements into various complex movement patterns.

Restoring mobility to what it was as a child creates the capacity for effortless movement. Capacity for effortless movement creates the conditions for joyful play to occur. Joyful play then becomes movement fluency as the brain learns to control the body in near limitless positions, postures, speeds and angles. Constantly varied, functional movements anyone? Finally, movement fluency supports athleticism because only when the brain does not FEAR movement can one can truly move with perfect rhythm, without any amount of excessive tension anywhere in the body. Have you ever noticed how the best athletes in world make it look easy? No strain, efficiency in motion.

Ideally, what is the optimal training progression?

You Move --> You Play --> You Train.

What is the experience most people have? Does it look something like this?

You Are Born --> You Move --> You Play -->You Stop Playing --> You Stop Moving --> You Start Training --> You Make Progress --> You Plateau or Get Injured --> You Stop Training

How does it compare to what you've personally experienced in life? Make sure to leave a comment and tell me!

Wouldn't it make more sense if you began to restore your movement capacity and started moving and playing again? How could your training be different if you had a better foundation for movement?

A Playful Challenge
If at anytime while reading this post you disagree with the conclusions I have made or the questions I have posed, I have a challenge for you. On a Sunday afternoon, find a busy park near your home that has plenty of kids playing and go watch kids at play. Hell, join them. Just make sure to bring your own kids, or at least your girl friend or wife (for all you guys) so that you don't freak out the parents!

After watching these kids at play or playing with them, I want you to ask yourself if given the size difference if you could honestly say you are moving as effortlessly as they they can - without hesitation. I think you will realize that you feel much like a "bull in a China closet compared to these kids. Did you hesitate before attempting some of their stunts or did you have doubts?

Fear of movement is a sign that you are not moving as efficiently as you should. Trying harder is just a way of compensating. Movement fluency is a prerequisite to athleticism.

Be sure to tell me about your experience!