vement
Mo
SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS FOR T
Jeff
Tu
r
W
ne
ith so many ways to “get fit,” it’s
hard to choose which is best
and where to start once you’ve
chosen. This isn’t about that.
This is about what lies underneath the
methods. It’s about movement skills.
Can you move well through a full range
of motion, under control? Are you pain
free? It’s surprising how many people, both young and old,
are broken. Many of the adults I know hobble from here
to there and are in pain daily—they accept it as a way of
life, and they say it’s a part of getting old. Really?! It’s the
same with student athletes; they’re hurt because they play
hard, it’s just a part of sports—right? No!
If kids were taught to move well early on, we would
see fewer injuries and better performance now, and
less degeneration later in life. The way it is now, we
spend time and money helping adults reclaim their
movement—something that could have been prevented
with something as simple as teaching them how to move
as kids. We must start teaching kids the right skills.
r
Move With Efficiency
HARD SKILLS
There’s a certain way to swing a golf club that works
best. Same thing with hitting a baseball, shooting a free
throw, pulling from the ground or pressing overhead.
There’s a “best” way to do it each and every time that will
produce the best result. These are the “hard” skills.
SOFT SKILLS
Most of us can walk, run and jump—but what happens
when you have to dodge a car or you slip on the ice? Are
you able to react with the necessary skills to keep you on
your feet? Those are “soft” skills. Pattern recognition and
reaction are soft skills, as Daniel Coyle says in his book
The Talent Code. The mixed martial artist has punched,
kicked, and grappled for years in deep practice (hard
skills). But when it comes time to step into the ring, he’s
able to react to the attack that’s unfolding differently each
time (soft skills) because he’s practiced in controlled and
uncontrolled environments for years.
20 January 2015 eNewsletter
In MovNat, we talk about Efficiency Outcomes—these
are things like higher performance, energy conservation
and improved safety. All of these things are byproducts
of practicing efficient movement.
Whether I’m working with my athletes or teaching
a MovNat workshop, I’m constantly talking about the
following three sets of elements that contribute to the
development of technique. If any of them are off, you’re
off—you won’t be at your best. When they’re all on,
you’re an efficient machine.