There are many paths up the Mountain of Movement.
Do different people do better with different paths they may be best suited for?
Is there something special about the people who made it up the path?
Would those people have made it up any path they chose?
I’ve tried many paths and have fallen off most.
The fitness industry is filled with guides that sell their path as “the way” and we call these people coaches. They speak of the benefits of these well-trotted paths that have been carved out over time. The routes are efficient and the maps detailed.

I think these people who made it to the top of the mountain did something different. There was no path for them, they created their own. They ventured into the wild. The wilderness is somewhere we’ve forgotten, maybe because it’s so hard to sell, maybe because we like the known.

This fear of the unpredictable, chaotic nature of movement exploration sounds similar to adults being averse to play. It’s what kids naturally do, they explore and venture out into the world without hesitation. It gets scarier as we get older because our culture files us into established, narrowed paths that end up imprisoning us inside safety and comfort. Our world of movement slowly shrinks smaller and smaller, more rigid and more specialized. Instead of looking to find a linear path that we can race up as fast as possible, we should appreciate the obstacles, the problem solving, and the dead-ends that directly show us where growth is needed. The mobility, strength, planes of movement, and functionality is all cultivated in the wild but we have been walking these paved roads so long we have become fragile and domesticated.

We need coaches, technique, and skills to guide us through this terrain but as a trainer, I try not to tell people the way. It’s our job to make sure they are prepared to go on their journey, that they have a body that can navigate as best as possible. My role is to guide the person, not the route. My purpose is to provide a compass and help others create their map. Where do you point this compass? Whatever direction brings you joy. It’s following your passion. When pioneers were seeking they weren’t taking a road that was well traveled, they were going into the dark, following their heart, and never alone. I’m not exactly sure where my path leads but I hope to see you along the journey.