The Art of Movement: Embracing Balance and Counterbalance

Learning to move as an adult can be intimidating, humbling, and frustrating. But when things finally click, it's empowering, confidence-building, and fun!
Let's skip the philosophical rambling and get practical with one basic concept that makes learning movement easier: balance and, more specifically, counterbalance.

All movement is essentially about counterbalancing opposing parts of the body to keep your center of mass over your base of support. Think about walking—your opposite arms and legs move together while your ribs and pelvis rotate over the supporting leg. Even in something like deadlifting, you need to angle your head and hips in a way that keeps the weight close to your base of support.

In a lunge, when you load one leg, you bring your weight toward that leg. The same goes for crawling or rolling. These all involve contralateral movement to keep your mass over your support.

Focus on What's Not Moving

This concept can really help you understand what balance feels like. It’s counterintuitive but groundbreaking once it clicks. When trying to build freedom in movement, pay attention to the parts of your body that support you rather than forcing movement with what's moving.

For example, when walking, what really allows you to move is the leg on the ground supporting you. This lets you pick up the free leg and reach forward to create a new support. When crawling, it's the hand and foot in contact with the ground that gives you the freedom to move. By focusing on these supports rather than the moving arms or legs, you'll feel more balanced and confident, giving you more freedom and creativity in your movements.

Start Simple

Try applying this concept with these three movements:

1. Walking: Focus on the supporting leg.

2. Crawling: Pay attention to the hand and foot on the ground.

3. Lunging: Center your weight over the loaded leg.

Give it a shot and see how it changes your approach to movement. Your body will thank you for it!