Identify and challenge invisible belief systems that keep you stuck in movement or other areas of life, such as the idea that ‘it only counts if I run the entire way.’ Unpicking these beliefs can open up new opportunities for movement, reduce injury, and improve overall well-being.
If experiencing neck, shoulder, back, hip, knee, or foot pain, investigate your head posture as a primary root cause. A forward head can add significant load (up to 18 kilos) to your body and flex your spine, limiting movement potential.
To improve head awareness, lie on your back with a slippery surface under your head, place a hand on your crown, and gently nod and rotate your head within comfortable ranges. This provides sensory input to your brain, helping it understand your head’s position and encouraging spinal extension without creating a double chin.
Vigorously scrub every millimeter of your foot soles, including the arches and under the toes, for a few minutes daily (e.g., while brushing teeth) to ‘use up’ hypersensitive or hyposensitive receptive fields. This clarifies sensory information to the brain, improving foot function, balance, stride length, and overall movement efficiency.
Prioritize spending time barefoot and wearing minimalist shoes (without cushioning or heel elevation) to allow your feet to move naturally and provide essential sensory feedback to the brain. This can improve foot strength and reduce downstream problems like back or hip pain; transition gradually to allow foot muscles to adapt, and ensure socks don’t restrict movement.
When moving, cultivate a ‘soft gaze’ or peripheral vision by seeing ahead and observing houses on either side of the street, rather than focusing intently on one spot or looking down. This informs spinal activity, extends the spine, and relaxes the autonomic nervous system, leading to more functional upright posture and improved movement.
Implement run-walk strategies from the start of any endurance activity, rather than waiting until you’re tired, to prevent fatigue, reduce injury risk, and aid muscle recovery during movement. This approach allows for continuous progress and can lead to faster times and a more enjoyable experience by recovering as you go.
Consciously maintain good posture even when fatigued during physical activity, as allowing your body to slump makes movement harder and less efficient. Use mental effort to find a ‘wibbly-wobbly’ head position and press hands on the upper chest to encourage spinal extension, allowing for freer movement with less effort.
Allow babies ample time out of baby grows (consider chopping off feet or using socks) to explore their feet with their hands and mouth. This natural exploration provides crucial sensory input, triggering reflexive movements essential for developing strong, functional feet and fundamental movement patterns.
Ask your partner or close friends to observe your posture and movement patterns, as they often notice things you don’t see yourself. This external perspective can provide valuable insights into habits that might be contributing to pain or inefficiency.
Incorporate walking or running poles from the beginning of your activity to offload up to 75% of body weight from your knees and engage your upper body dynamically. This makes movement a whole-body activity, improves circulation, and can lead to happier knees and better outcomes, especially for those with existing conditions.
Introduce variety into your movement patterns by switching up gears (e.g., alternating between walking and trotting) to avoid repetitive strain and keep your brain engaged. This makes movement easier on both the body and the brain, preventing fatigue and improving overall efficiency.
If you experience knee pain while running, do not immediately stop running, but instead investigate the root cause of the knee’s discomfort. The knee is often taking the brunt of issues originating elsewhere in the body, such as the head, hips, or feet.