Everything You Need to Know About Erwan Le Corre's MovNat Method: Is Natural Movement Really Effective and Accessible to Everyone?

Probably the most popular movement training method to date, MovNat or Natural Movement , is a method of physical education / training based on principles of efficiency (in the broad sense), which seems to appeal to a very varied audience, and which is very often associated with “Natural Fitness”.

Also known as “Paleo Fitness” (wrongly?), for “Paleolithic Fitness”, MovNat helps us develop a body capable of performing all the movements our ancestors could: running, climbing, fighting, swimming, hunting, crawling, lifting, carrying…

Established in 2008 , MovNat practitioners range from professional combat sports athletes to ordinary people, including coaches and health professionals who can even obtain MovNat certifications and teach the method.

This training method aims to present an accessible and universal response to combat the ills of a sedentary lifestyle by reconnecting with our ancestral natural movements.

Movements that would be more functional than those offered by traditional fitness . Movements that would meet the demands of the modern world. Movements to develop a body adaptable to all the stimuli of the natural world.

We've talked a lot about movement, or human movement, on this blog. But why specify the term "natural movement" today?

Isn't all movement natural? What makes one movement natural over another? Why should we move outdoors, in nature, learn to climb trees, run barefoot in the woods, jump from rock to rock... to be better equipped to face the stimuli of everyday life?

What benefits can this approach and these exercises bring to our physical, mental, and even spiritual health? Is the MovNat method really suitable for people who don't practice sports? Is there a benefit or necessity to be interested in natural movements? Where and how can I practice the MovNat method in France?

In this article, we will dive into the world of Natural Movement (MovNat) and try to unravel these mysteries.

We will trace the history of Erwan Le Corre , the founder of MovNat, study what his influences were in creating this training system, discover the MovNat method in detail and elaborate on the 12 principles it contains,

To establish a comparison with other movement training methods that have already been analyzed, such as the Ido Portal Method or Animal Flow , to extract the benefits on the body, performance, longevity and to present the possible limits of this Natural Movement method,

All this to provide a global and clear understanding of the MovNat Method and to try to answer the question:

Is MovNat really a complete, effective, accessible movement training method suitable for everyone?

Very good reading, the movers!

The Life in Motion of Erwan Le Corre

Born in 1971 in the village of Étréchy in the Île-de-France region, Erwan had a childhood rich in movement. Inspired by his father, he was encouraged to engage in a wide range of physical activities in nature from an early age, including running in the forest, climbing, jumping, and exploring his physicality on his own.

It is his father who influences him and pushes him to become a strong, capable, competent being . This is his first encounter with the notion of generalist: having a body capable of doing everything.

At the age of 15, he became passionate about karate and even earned his black belt in just 3 years. The obsession with specific work, the competitive spirit, the notion of score, rules, judges, time limits... all these elements quickly created a dissonance with the physical experiences of his childhood.

Erwan then realizes that he doesn't enjoy himself as much as when he was simply in the forest running and exploring his abilities without constraints or external imperatives. He then understands the importance of basing his practice on the long term and not on short-term goals.

This intuition is confirmed when he observes his father in a state of intoxication. His image of the strong and inspiring father giving way to this gentle and harmless person, weak and fragile, Erwan understands the importance of having a physical practice that takes longevity into account.

These elements form a precise philosophical basis on the relationship with one's body, one's movements, one's health and one's longevity.

Erwan then became passionate about Parkour , a practice which aims to move and travel using the elements of one's environment.

A friend of William Belle , the official founder of Parkour, who we saw in the famous film Yamakasi , Erwan learns the different movements and develops agility, explosiveness, skill...

Inspired by predecessors such as Georges Hébert 's La Méthode Naturelle a century earlier, himself inspired by Amo Rose a century before him, Erwan began studying their teachings in 2004 and combining their teachings with his personal experiments.

For example, he extracts from Parkour the freedom of movement , locomotion, efficiency of movement, being in relation to one's environment, but he does not hesitate to make certain criticisms, notably linked to teaching, the lack of structure, protocol and the spectacular but inaccessible character for most people.

It's the ultimate sport for daredevils! And so, perhaps not suitable for everyone.

At 27, Erwan tries different sports such as sailing, Olympic weightlifting, climbing, long-distance triathlon, trail running and Brazilian jiu-jitsu… We really represent his Generalist philosophy .

More than a training method, Erwan develops a true way of life around natural movement, with a philosophy and a coaching technique that adapts to new technologies and our way of life.

In 2008 he officially launched MovNat and passed on his knowledge during workshops dedicated to the movement.

After ten years of providing training and coaching thousands of students around the world , Erwan Le Corre publishes his book, The Practice of Natural Movement: Reclaim Power, Health and Freedom.

Erwan Le Corre explains how our society has deformed us, conditioned us to live in an artificial world, impoverished in movement . He demonstrates our innate and versatile capacity to carry out practical and adaptable movements.

In this book, he also explains all the techniques and strategies for successfully practicing MovNat and (re)becoming aware of your body.

For Erwan, physical training cannot be dissociated from our interaction with nature .

In 2020, when he was almost 50 years old , Erwan trained in static apnea. After only a few months of training, he broke the American national record for static apnea in a swimming pool, with 6 minutes and 46 seconds. 44 seconds more than the previous record, a real feat!

And while our hero of the movement is indeed French by origin, he is now a citizen of the United States. He has in fact been naturalized by his adopted country, where he lives with his wife and three children.

Today, the MovNat method is attractive.

Erwan offers week-long wilderness retreats in the United States and Thailand. He trains American commandos, professional MMA fighters like UFC fighter Carlos Condit, and athletes from all disciplines.

You can learn more about the benefits of movement training for MMA with our analysis of the Ido Portal method on Conor McGregor .

Whether it's to lose weight, gain muscle mass, develop strength, flexibility, agility... the method is finding a growing audience and we can understand why!

What is the Natural Movement Approach?

You get it, with MovNat, no more dumbbells, weight benches, and bench presses. Forget about sanitized weight rooms, confined spaces, modern equipment, complex training programs, vanity metrics...

MovNat wants to connect us to nature and our nature .

We breathe fresh air. We return to our roots. We rediscover our ability to move: walk, run, crawl, jump, climb... And to manipulate: lift, carry, throw, catch...

For example, we learn to walk on all fours, run barefoot, climb trees, throw and catch objects, do obstacle courses, climb over a wall, collaborate with our friends... In short, to use our bodies.

We can also notice the importance of the vocabulary around education and the clear distinction between physical training and physical exercise.

MovNat is not a training program, it is a system in which you learn to move your body, develop new motor controls, change your way of thinking about the body, physical conditioning, and even physical practice.

A quick aside on the idea of ​​Paleo Fitness and the idea of ​​“moving like our ancestors” .

I would like to share with you the words of Hugo Colin , certified MovNat Level 3 trainer, founder of Wolf Movement , with whom I just recorded episode #54 on the MOUVERS Podcast, who rightly told me:

I invite you to discover the rest of our two hours of cosmic conversations as soon as it is released.

The origins of the MovNat Method

As mentioned above, to create MovNat, Erwan Le Corre was inspired by the work of Georges Hébert with the Natural Method (and even the philosophy attached to it: Hébertism ) but also his experiences with Parkour and above all, he simply remembered his childhood and the pleasure he took in playing outside, like a little savage.

Remember when you climbed trees? When you rolled in the grass? When you crossed a river by balancing on a log? When you ran barefoot in the rain? When was the last time you experienced these little pleasures ?

At what point did we start to classify these movements as “childish” or even “danger zone”?

To develop his method, Erwan Le Corre drew inspiration from this period of his life when he learned by falling. He wasn't afraid to hurt himself or to try. He did it with joy , without any constraints, like a fulfilled child.

A quick word about Georges Hébert and La Méthode Naturelle before the release of the next article dedicated to him on the Blog des Mouvers.

During his travels, Georges Hébert, a lieutenant in the French navy, noticed how the indigenous populations were physically more developed than the members of the army.

During a volcanic eruption, he observes that these populations are extremely agile and much better adapted to respond to this catastrophe than the French navy.

To escape lava flows, they are able to climb and jump onto roofs, crawl under and over obstacles, and collaborate with each other, sometimes carrying their family members on their backs.

He makes the connection between their physical and athletic abilities and their lifestyle . They do not do sports in the sense of physical exercise, but are constantly moving in nature, hunting, fishing, doing manual work, and carrying various loads on a daily basis.

This inspired him and he developed a method which aimed to develop the body's natural capacities using elements of nature: The Natural Method .

He initially organized the training of marine fusiliers in Lorient, then was appointed director of physical exercises in the navy. He was the originator of the famous “obstacle course” , now used by all army corps around the world.

We will return to the absolutely incredible story of Georges Hébert, the impact of these training methodologies on the French armies during the two world wars and on the general population with the Hébertist centers , then the decline that followed.

Finally, we will discuss his vision of holistic health and his philosophy of life: Hébertism , a kind of personal and social development of yesteryear. Yes, just that 🙂

I also welcome one of the movers who wants to bring this method up to date on the MOUVERS Podcast: Alexandre Borne . A conversation not to be missed!

For the moment, we are focusing on the impacts of these teachings on the creation of the MovNat method, such as, for example, the motto of Georges Hébert , today taken up by MovNat:

“Be strong to be useful.”

The influences of the Natural Method can be found on MovNat, particularly in certain movements used, the exploitation of the natural environment as a workspace, the notion of movement efficiency, and the social dimension of the practice.

We will then see the principles of the MovNat method, how to use the practice and its effects on health, but also how it differs from other movement training methodologies.

Understanding the importance and benefits of Natural Movement

The method developed by Erwan Le Corre aims to help us relearn how to move with grace and efficiency.

The goal is to regain our original health : the health that results from millions of years of evolution of the human species, our biological health, to regain, restore, maintain, improve, optimize all aspects of our physicality such as form, mood, joy, pleasure and the feeling of freedom within oneself.

For Erwan, Natural Movement contributes to self-realization.

It is the idea that being able to have a body that can meet all the demands of everyday life, without the fear of injury, gives us real confidence and self-esteem. We gain motor skills that last our entire lives , making us useful to ourselves but also able to serve others.

In this sense, we can also say that the practice of Natural Movement is a practice of mindfulness : self-awareness, awareness of one's body, awareness of one's environment and awareness of Nature in the broadest sense. The famous mind-body connection.

A “Movnatter” (moov-na-tor) therefore believes that building the body is not limited to building muscles, and that building a man is not limited to building his body.

Traditional physical training once combined physical and mental strengthening into an integrated whole and emphasized the vital need to prepare for the practical demands of life. MovNat continues this mentality and philosophy.

So natural human movement is not an option . It's not a new workout. It's not a new tool.

It always has been, always is and always will be a biological necessity .

To answer this question, the MovNat method is based on around a hundred movements, useful in our everyday lives, which can be classified into 3 main categories:

• locomotion (running, walking, climbing, swimming, etc.)
• manipulation (lifting, throwing, catching, carrying, etc.)
• combat (mainly defense techniques).

Natural movement first studies posture . It is important to find a certain balance in the different positions and to gain proprioception, that is to say, perception of one's body in space.

You must know the exact position of your body and each of your limbs without using the five usual senses.

Becoming aware of your body and your strength is the first step in learning MovNat.

Next comes the art of movement, with “Natural Running.” The goal is to relearn how to run barefoot.

Yes, it's a matter of "relearning," because today we no longer live barefoot. We're used to comfortable shoes and thick soles to absorb impacts. We must therefore learn to avoid this impact on the heel by working particularly on the forefoot.

If you want to relearn how to run with what is called a “midfoot strike” and not a “heel strike”, in other words running correctly , with the point of impact on the middle of the foot and not on the heel (like what 99% of people do),

I recommend you watch this video on POSE Running and the episode with Julien Touzalin on our MOUVERS podcast, responsible for the rehabilitation and pre-habilitation of runners.

But movement is not only achieved by walking or running upright. MovNat also focuses on quadrupedalism , that is, moving on all fours, jumping or moving at height.

It's an opportunity to learn how to climb a tree, step over obstacles, cross a low wall, or even move between branches, balance on tree trunks, cross a river by jumping on rocks... Pure joy ^^

We therefore condition the body primarily by practicing motor skills in a progressively stimulating manner.

Before being able to handle heavy external loads in a weight room for example, the practice of natural movement focuses on ensuring that we are first able to handle our own load (our body weight) safely and in a multitude of possible scenarios.

Yes, the ability to move your own body well always comes first.

In summary, moving and handling loads is a skill that requires not only strength, but also and above all a functional, mobile, supple and flexible body.

In this sense, the MovNat method, like our approach at the Nomadslim Movement Academy, aims to help you first recover your body's functionality so that you can then enjoy it in the rest of your favorite physical activities without getting injured.

Makes sense, doesn't it? Let's take a closer look at the principles that govern the MovNat Method.

The 12 main principles of MovNat

The MovNat method is based on 12 principles . By simply reading each of these principles, you will quickly understand how they perfectly correspond to the entire philosophy we have just described so far.

Practicality

As you can see, if a movement has no transferability to your daily actions, it doesn't meet this principle. At MovNat, we focus on what's useful and nothing more.

Practicality is the main motive of natural movement.

Be careful not to enter into a dogma too quickly!

Indeed, as we have seen in other movement training methods, there is room for creativity and exploration in your physical practice.

Movement for movement's sake represents a significant part of many disciplines such as dance, circus arts, tricking or even calisthenics (I'm thinking in particular of handstand push-ups or one-handed pull-ups).

Even Erwan Le Corre makes this clear when he says that “in no way excludes “impractical” movement (i.e., movement practice that is not directly practical). <…> Exploration and practice or non-practical types of movement can be very enjoyable and broaden our horizons of movement practice in very beneficial ways.”

Here, we simply elaborate on one of the principles of MovNat. We look at physical practice through the MovNat lens.

If we look at it from a higher perspective, MovNat is only one sub-domain of movement . It's just one opinion in the vast spectrum of physical practice. Don't forget that.

I specify this so as not to offend my dancers, my Capoeiristas, and the creatives among my Mouvers ^^.

Let's be honest though, when did you put a Macaco or a Windmill at work this week? hahaha

Adaptability

Learning to adapt is what MovNat is all about. You develop your skills to be able to evolve in a dynamic, sometimes unpredictable environment , in situations in which you do not have control over all the parameters.

Remember the origins of the Natural Method or even Parkour? We move to be able to escape a risky area, to cover distances in an urban environment, to bypass a blocking natural element, or even to collaborate with a friend and lift a heavy object...

If we take a step back and leave the world of training methods to join that of anthropology, neuroscience, and even quantum physics: the reason for our brain's existence is movement.

In other words, we are designed for adaptability, for problem solving, for learning and neural plasticity. It's literally the animal that we are.

The adaptability of the human body is therefore not an objective in itself, but rather an expression of its deep nature.

We must be able to adapt to the stimuli of our environment. An environment that is constantly changing and requires permanent (re)contextualization on our part.

We will never evolve in perfect adjustment, in perfect body shape, with perfect execution, on a perfectly smooth ground... Nature is chaotic!

Yet another point that categorically opposes the world of modern fitness to the practices of movement and natural movement.

Again, this isn't a criticism of the fitness world, which has many benefits for getting sedentary people back into shape and getting back into physical activity. However, it remains a limited and potentially damaging world in the long run because it doesn't make us adaptable and therefore independent.

Effective

Perhaps one aspect of MovNat that I particularly resonate with and that I think is missing from most modern fitness practices.

How to conserve maximum energy when moving your body?
How to perform the movements while always remaining safe ?
How to improve your performance without adding more external loads (stress, weight, constraints, etc.)?

Once again, the emphasis here is on the quality of execution of movements, the demonstration of technical competence and the ability to perform movements “without waste”.

Movement efficiency is an intention you can bring to any practice that drastically changes your performance and feelings.

For those who are used to going through their workouts without paying any attention to the quality of what they are doing will benefit greatly from this.

Doing less, but better, is the approach employed by all high-level practitioners in any art. It's the idea of ​​being a craftsman with your own body and nourishing it with better movements.

As we have seen, the body is an incredible machine of adaptability.

Giving your body “bad movements,” that is, giving it movements with poor execution, will make your body very efficient at performing movements poorly. So you become better at “moving badly.”

This is how many people spend their lives with pain, stiffness, and restrictions all over their bodies, decide to get back into sports, move poorly, and make their pain worse again, and therefore, give up sports...

Lack of attention to movement efficiency conditions the body and nervous system to be inefficient. We shoot ourselves in the foot. We become the cause of our own ills.

Aware

The principle that follows from the previous one is that of adding awareness to one's physical practice .

Again, there's no need to look for answers in metaphysics or the ether to understand this. Movement stems from awareness of ourselves and our environment.

You move in response to what you perceive in your environment. Another word for awareness would be focus, or intention, or presence.

Moving efficiently and being able to adapt requires being present in what you're doing . You can't perform a deadlift while thinking about what you're going to eat after your workout or the text you need to reply to...

Adding awareness to your practice allows you to acquire skills and incorporate these new movements into your everyday vocabulary. This is the path to complete mastery of a movement.

Vital

No need for a long explanation here, the goal of any biological system is survival.

Moving better means staying in shape, being able to respond to all situations, even unforeseen ones, and therefore staying alive.

A synonym here might be staying ready.

Instinctive

This is perhaps one of the things we lose most quickly as we grow up: the instinct to move.

Even before we can form a sentence, we are able to move. We explore our environment, we crawl, we roll, we walk on all fours, we discover for ourselves how to balance and walk on our own two feet.

Body movement is the most important element in a child's development.

After years of living in our modern societies, this ability to simply use our physicality is taken away from us to meet imposed standards: the chair, the shoes, the posture, not climbing on this, not putting hands or feet there...

You understand, the movement is instinctive .

We figure out how to climb, run, jump, step over things on our own... We try, we fall, we try again. We have developed an intuition about what we are capable of doing and what we are not.

After years of not relying on this instinct, we lose it.

We're afraid of everything. We no longer dare jump or balance on an object, even a very low one, because we're afraid of getting hurt. We're terrified of the idea of ​​falling or having our heads upside down. Jumping paralyzes us, and we develop a whole bunch of mental blocks.

We become prisoners of our own bodies.

We fear the gaze and judgment of others. We don't dare move as we wish, in nature, get dirty, try to do X or Y. We even come to think that it's degrading to crawl, roll, climb...

In the wise words of Ido Portal to parents: “Let them dirty the walls!”

Reconnecting with one's deep nature also means accepting that one is an animal meant to evolve on these different playgrounds, rough, to scratch oneself, to put one's hands in the earth, to get bruises, horns...

Not in a studio in the heart of Paris, on rugs laid on the parquet floor, in Lululemon clothes, with an Apple Watch on your wrist, Earpods in your ears, an air purifier...

Cooperative

One of the principles inspired by Georges Hébert's Natural Method is the cooperative aspect of MovNat practice. You can either experience a workout together or include exercises that require collaboration between group members.

The social dimension is therefore very present and contributes to the creation of the link, but also to the development of skills such as transport, lifting, throwing, etc.

At MovNat, we prioritize support over competition among members, and we often encourage collaboration to achieve things that an individual could not do alone.

However, let's not forget Erwan's martial origins which also allow him to incorporate cooperation even for competitors in individual sports .

Indeed, if you practice martial arts, you know that even if you are alone in the ring, the months of preparation before the fight are a phase in which you are helped by all the members of your gym. They contribute to your physical, technical and mental development thanks to sparring (training fights) which expose and allow you to correct your weaknesses.

This notion of mutual improvement through mutual assistance is present at MovNat, which therefore does not exclude the competitive spirit.

Environment

Unsurprisingly, MovNat is most often practiced in Nature to maximize health benefits and increase well-being and connection with the natural environment.

Evolutionary

I also think that this principle is rather explicit with everything that has been said before.

The idea is to do what we are made for and therefore move as evolution wants us to move.

If we look at traditional societies that still exist today, hunter-gatherer societies, we can quickly understand what types of movements they will be required to perform during their lives: running, crawling, jumping, balancing, climbing, throwing, catching, lifting, carrying and swimming.

We observe a great diversity of movements , and even of environment, which is largely missing in our modern physical practices.

Even if the goal is not to be able to practice everything every week, we want to achieve versatility in our skills: to be able to.

Non-specialized

We have talked about it a lot on this Blog, the approach through movement is linked to the idea of ​​becoming a Generalist and not a Specialist.

Here's a comprehensive article on the difference between a general practitioner and a specialist, the different approaches to physical training, the benefits and risks associated with each, and how to choose your own direction.

MovNat is no exception, and it goes against the compartmentalized, segmented, (ultra) specialized approach widely promoted in the modern fitness world. You're only capable of doing one thing very well.

The generalist approach directs physical practice to be a jack-of-all-trades and not a master.

Please note that this notion of Generalist does not exclude the ability to achieve a high level of competence in one or more areas.

Approached correctly and intelligently, one can even become versatile and excellent. We discuss this precisely and at length with Nicolas De Paoli (EP. 23) on how to be an athlete capable of doing everything and who remains at the top level of performance.

Universal

Again, no need to explain further. The movement is for everyone.

If you have a human body, then natural movement is for you. It's biological, organic, hereditary.

It's obvious.

Progressive

This is perhaps the biggest drawback of our modern lifestyle: we want everything, right now.

The problem is that nothing important in this world can be obtained quickly. Thus, acquiring motor skills and adaptability is a slow process.

We need to repeat, repeat, and repeat things to learn and master them.

We need to make our training difficult but not too difficult, and rest enough to be able to adapt and progress. This is the Law of Hormesis .

To understand this notion of continuous progression , I refer you to my exchange with Pierre Dufraisse (EP. 22) with which we go into detail on the hormetic process and how we can, on our scale, begin to strengthen ourselves and become antifragile.

As you can see, adaptation by its very nature is progressive.

So, if you want to move better, become stronger, more agile, more coordinated, improve your endurance, your balance or more generally improve your health and regain your vitality, it won't happen overnight.

This is why we need to educate ourselves on how the body works and spend time studying how our own body works.

A possible starting point: regaining your range of motion.

My mobility training courses aim to help you start on a solid foundation, understand your body, its biomechanics, its functions, lubricate your joints to remove pain and stiffness and begin your adventure towards greater physical autonomy.

Then, it's up to you to adjust the right amount of difficulty, novelty, intensity, and be sure to have adequate rest to continually progress and move forward.

Remember that the body is a complex machine . Instead of wasting time trying in vain to find the latest hack to short-circuit the learning process, embrace this complexity, educate yourself, and practice.

Wisdom is simply knowledge filtered through practice and experimentation.

So start with a first step and give yourself time to progress .

Life is not a race.

You can learn more about MovNat's 12 principles on their website.

Now that we understand the why and how of the MovNat Method and Natural Movement, let's indulge in the favorite exercise of internet trolls and compare certain movement methodologies with MovNat.

MovNat vs Animal Flow vs Ido Portal vs Functional Training…

It's easy to get confused by the different movement training methods available today.

On social media in particular, what appeals is often what is visually attractive .

We see an influencer performing an Animal Flow sequence, or fantasize about a guy doing Handstand Push-Ups in the Ido Portal movement room, or we idealize a couple playing with their children in the forest next to their huge MovNat-style house...

Without any explanation or contextualization . We don't know how these people got there, how they developed their physical skills or their approaches to health, we can't verify their sports history or passive injury history.

This is why I want to educate people through long articles (sometimes very long ^^) to understand the nuances between these different training methodologies and help as many people as possible to consciously choose which tool(s) is most suitable today.

Let's do a quick comparison between MovNat and some of these methods. I'll leave a more in-depth comparison for a future article.

If you're interested, let me know which methods you'd like me to compare.

MovNat vs Functional Training

The word “functional” is perhaps the most talked about word in the fitness world over the past two decades with the advent of CrossFit and the general population becoming aware of the concept and importance of fitness .

For athletes, functional training has always been an integral part of physical preparation. It involves developing the body, conceived as a unit, in fundamental movements such as pushing, pulling, rotating, locomotion, etc.

For athletes, this physical preparation can be general at certain times and specific to their sport during competition phases for example.

For the general population, functional training could easily be summed up as being prepared for any circumstance . Being strong, enduring, explosive, able to jump… which philosophically resembles what MovNat proposes.

The difference then? I think it comes from the execution.

In what we now call “functional” training, we often think of the use of equipment such as kettlebells, elastic bands, bars, Med Balls, etc., as we might see in CrossFit boxes.

The sessions are still organized as a succession of exercises , therefore limited movements (with rules on “good” form), with repetitions, rest times, frequencies, etc.

This approach is the opposite of that of MovNat which does not work exclusively on these metrics but rather on exposure to demands of the natural environment , the notion of play, collaboration, intentionality.

My opinion:

If you are in a phase of re-athleticization, after a long period of sedentary lifestyle, inactivity, or post-injury, I think that trying MovNat before moving on to more formatted physical training like CrossFit would be wise.

This will be an opportunity to gently reconnect with your body, have fun with a group, gain self-confidence, learn to use your body weight first, and gradually resume physical activity without the fear of injury.

MovNat vs Animal Flow

Mike Fitch's Animal Flow Method has been described in detail, a form of bodyweight training that combines animal movements, Vinyasa flow, and even breakdancing to create sequences of movements that flow together.

The limited number of movements, the primal and animal side, the group fitness class aspect, the possibility of creating your own flows or following someone else's simply by listening to the name of the movements, the accessibility to all types of people and the ease of adapting a session according to the athletic qualities you want to work on,

Make Animal Flow a force to be reckoned with in the world of movement training.

Animal Flow and MovNat have some similarities in quadrupedal movements but differ entirely in their approaches and applications.

As you can see, Animal Flow belongs more to the world of classic fitness, group classes in which everyone is on lines and follows the instructions of a teacher,

While MovNat advocates training in nature, without necessarily a fixed structure (no exercises to chain together for 45 minutes for cardio…), with a wide variety of movements to develop general physical qualities useful for everyday life.

No jumping, carrying, pulling, moving, fighting, social dimension… in Animal Flow.

My opinion:

It's very difficult to compare the incomparable. Animal Flow and MovNat are completely different in their approaches, principles, and goals.

I took the time to quickly list some differences because it's a question that comes up often, especially if you discover a video of Animal Flow and MovNat taken at random on Instagram and you see in both someone walking on all fours...

I think that reading this article and the one on Animal Flow , it is easy to understand that these are two different worlds . To try according to your personal objectives.

MovNat vs Ido Portal

Along with Erwan Le Corre, I think Ido Portal is also one of those very popular figures, who is often associated with a “movement guru” .

Both share that famous “coach on the move” look: a sort of Tarzan, hipster, hermit with a long beard, a bun, unbranded clothes, barefoot or with minimalist shoes.

It's obviously a little bit of humor from a student to his master because I consider these two men as great inspirations in my life and my practice .

As with Animal Flow, it is sometimes easy to visually confuse the work of Ido Portal and Erwan Le Corre when looking at the Ground Movement part of his two approaches.

After some research, it quickly becomes clear that the two methods are completely different in their teachings.

Even if we can note in both, the presence of play , of the social aspect, the presence of the natural environment (up to a certain degree), or even the return of adaptability and efficiency of movement,

I think the big differences come from the development of strength, access to greater complexity of movement and the expressive and creative capacity of the individual.

These three points are found in the Ido Portal method with a significant emphasis on developing strength with movements such as balances, acrobatics, one-handed pull-ups and one-handed balances.

The development of individual strength to this extent is completely absent at MovNat. There is no focus on acquiring these kinds of rather specialized skills .

The floor part once again offers a much wider range of technical, creative and expressive possibilities at Ido Portal with the art of Floreio, Floorwork and even Animal Locomotion. Once again, MovNat differs in its approach which does not seek to maximize the ability to move on the floor.

Finally, personal creativity is an integral part of the Ido Portal method: what we call improvisation. Once the movements are segmented (learned separately) and then integrated (combined with each other), we are able to create on our own.

MovNat does not follow this approach and presents its own version of improvisation (adaptability) which could be called situational improvisation . Being able to respond to real stimuli alone or in a group.

My opinion:

The Ido Portal Method and MovNat are very distinct in their teaching, their philosophy, in the capacity and skills they will give you but also and above all in their accessibility.

To enjoy the Ido Portal Method, you'll need to commit to it for a very long time. A large part of the method is strength training, which requires years of practice and discipline.

You can't do flows, hooks or one-handed balances without a strong athletic foundation but also a strong mindset already accustomed to working independently for years.

From my experience with Movement Culture, Ido Portal's student group, I observed that most of us were already experienced athletes/artists before embarking on these apprenticeships.

In contrast, MovNat is much more accessible, with few barriers to entry and much lower ambitions in terms of individual performance and athletic ability.

It's up to you to interpret this however you want, but I think Ido Portal is inherently more elitist , which won't suit the general population looking for re-athleticism or well-being.

For the more solid and disciplined, there is a way to enjoy yourself 🙂

In conclusion, it's up to you to first define your goals for your body, your movements and your health, then make an honest assessment of your current skill level and finally, move towards one or more practices that you enjoy and that you are sure to maintain over time.

Nothing is attainable in a short time . Even if you enjoy a wide variety of physical activities and want to try many of them, which is my case, take the time to dive into each one, one at a time.

Remember, life isn't a sprint. You have plenty of time to play, so make the most of every day.

Where to start if you live in France?

The MovNat Method: Where is it taught in France?

If you are interested in the MovNat Method, don't hesitate to try it out with the help of competent people .

For this, it is always better to train with a good coach to be sure to start on the right foot.

Here is a list of certified MovNat method coaches in the French-speaking world.

MovNat

Erwan Le Corre and his associates have developed a comprehensive offering for learning the MovNat method. On their website, you'll find several online training courses (in English), remote coaching , as well as workshops and retreats around the world.

It's possible to attend specialized swimming or combat workshops, as well as obtain certification. This system has three levels of certification, as well as "Aquatics" and "Combatives" certifications. MovNat works with affiliated coaches, which you can find in this list.

Find more information on the official MovNat website.

Special mention to Danny Clark , MovNat's Performance/Curriculum Director, who was chosen by Erwan in 2015 to take MovNat to the next level. He is one of the 4 MovNat Masters (the other three being mentioned later) and is the one seen in the center of the photo below (@natural.mover).

ScarAbsFit (Jérôme Rattoni)

Jérôme Rattoni is one of the most well-known figures of MovNat in Europe, master instructor of the certification team, he is the 4th MovNat Master after Erwan Le Corre, Vic Verdier and Danny Clark.

This 40-year-old mover, with an atypical life path, sporting and professional experiences which have seen their share of injuries and stress linked to the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle, has been transformed by life into a natural mover which advocates and fully embodies the recovery of health, vitality and reconnection with nature.

On his MovNat profile, we can read that “his nickname “ScarAbs” comes from the multiple tummy tuck surgeries he underwent from 2006 to 2013 (failures related to high stress), “scars” that left lifelong marks on his “abs” and taught him how important health, nature but also resilience and tenacity are for our longevity and success.”

You will be able to learn a little more about him and his career during an upcoming episode of the MOUVERS Podcast which will be released in February 2022.

Jérôme is one of MovNat's key players. He joins us on the podcast after teaching in Brazil, and serves as Relationship Manager. He also establishes partnerships with well-known gyms like Wolf Movement in Montpellier (see below) and KIMEO in Lyon.

You can discover his Instagram @jerome_scarabs

Cédric “Vic” Verdier

One of the 4 MovNat Masters like Jérôme Rattoni, Cédric was immersed in movement and even in natural movement with an initiation to The Natural Method of Georges Hébert since childhood, then thanks to scuba diving for which he holds a world record, Krav Maga for which he is an instructor, and then several StrongFirst certifications, Nutrition , physical trainer in weightlifting...

In short, a cosmic mover as we like, with a multitude of arrows in his bow and a curious mind, and a desire for permanent learning.

It smells like a podcast ^^

He joined MovNat in 2009 and now leads certification workshops, retreats, and specialized Combatives and Aquatics workshops. Through his coaching, he also helps men over 40 live healthier, stronger, and more vital lives.

You can discover his site Vic Verdier Coaching

Wolf Movement in Montpellier (Hugo Colin)

Wolf Movement is the first natural fitness gym in France and affiliated with MovNat .

It relies on collective training in small groups, for all levels, but also a free access room to train whenever you want and even a “wild” restaurant!

Yes, Amélie and Hugo took the concept to its conclusion by opening a restaurant based on the Paleo diet! The result: a great restaurant that offers access to healthy food, both to eat in and take away, as well as cooking classes and workshops to learn everything about the Paleo diet !

I welcome Hugo Colin (Certified Trainer level 3), the creator of this method to talk about the beginnings of the room, his professional experiences as a coach, but also to talk at length about reconnecting with nature, the more philosophical aspect of natural physical training , the paleo diet that he has with Amélie but also on avenues of reflection to become a good parent and allow the optimal development of the child.

You can listen to my episode with Hugo Colin on his Method, MovNat, reconnecting with Nature.

In the meantime, to find out where and when to eat and train in the Montpellier region, visit Wolf Movement.

MovNat Biarritz at Joyu Surf Shack

It's a hostel, it's a surf school, it's a restaurant... But Joyu Surf Shack is also a MovNat affiliated place where you can practice natural movement!

There you'll find classes, workshops, and even certification days! A great way to combine surfing and exercise to achieve optimal physical fitness.

More information about Joyu Surf Shack.

Natural Movement Method (Jérôme Pinard)

Jérôme Pinard , one of the first MovNat Certified Trainer level 3 in Europe, is a true movement enthusiast!

Discover his entire world on his website and take advantage of courses and internships in France and Switzerland to learn more about natural movement.

All information about the Natural Movement Method.

The Spot – Movement Studio in Vannes

Jiu-Jitsu, self-defense, pole dancing… The Spot is a place where human movement is at the heart of everything .

The goal is to reclaim your body, and for that, there's nothing like natural movement. The club is MovNat certified and offers classes several times a week, both in the studio and outdoors.

More information about The Spot Vannes

How to start practicing Natural Movement simply?

If you don't have access to certified MovNat coaches in your area or if you simply want to start reconnecting with your natural movements, here are some little tips you can use in your daily life.

Using the urban environment as a playground

As you can see, one of the founding principles behind the MovNat Method is reconnecting with Nature. Unfortunately, we don't live very close to a forest or a jungle. That doesn't mean you can't practice MovNat in an urban setting .

You can go to a public park, a riverbank, a municipal stadium, or even a kindergarten (preferably during off-peak hours) and simply start using your surroundings to train.

It's an opportunity to spend some quality time with friends on the weekend, with colleagues during your lunch break, or with your children and enjoy real human interactions , away from screens and the virtual world.

You can try hanging from swing bars, doing some quadrupedal work on the side of a football field, or even working on your precision jumps.

The idea is not just to try to do MovNat on your own, but rather, to develop this new relationship with your body and your environment by reintroducing an element of play and personal exploration.

I think this mentality is essential to have for practicing Natural Movement and for many other aspects of life. Don't wait for someone to teach you how to play, try and play for yourself.

Transform your daily life into a series of challenges

Another simple way to reintroduce this spontaneity, this play, this intuition into your practice is through small challenges that you can set yourself every day.

In everyday situations, in those moments when you tirelessly repeat the same gestures, add diversity.

Do you usually pick up an object from the floor by bending forward? Try doing it with a deep squat .
Do you brush your teeth with your right hand while standing? Try doing it with your left hand while balancing on one leg.
Do you always go home by the same route? Try to find another one every day, even if it's longer...

As you can see, the idea is to add diversity to trigger this reflection, create new neural connections and rediscover this adaptability, this awareness of movement and this presence.

Cultivate more and more new ideas simply to develop a brain that thinks, innovates and escapes this deadly monotony.

Add movement to your morning routine

What has always worked for me when I wanted to add a new positive habit into my life, has been to do it when I wake up, and incorporate this new action into my existing routine.

No matter how responsible you are during the day, if there's one moment that's just for you, it's waking up .

We all have a morning routine . Even if yours isn't set in stone, you may find certain actions that are consistent: getting out of bed, showering, brushing your teeth, getting dressed...

These actions are so habitual that you no longer need to think about them before performing them. You don't need any external motivation or triggers. So they become automated in your brain .

To significantly increase your success rate when you decide to add a new habit, you can simply insert it into this already automated sequence of actions.

If you do A, B, C, D every day. Try adding the new letter, K between the B and the C for example and you will see that it is much easier than forcing yourself to find a new time in the day between work, children, sports...

That's why I suggest you add my free mobility routine to your daily routine: 15 minutes to unlock all your joints. Do this every day between getting out of bed and showering, for example.

There are obviously plenty of other things you can do, but the important thing is to understand that moving your body isn't a right. Moving your body is a duty.

The human experience of life is above all a physical experience . To extract the sweet nectar from it and enjoy every moment of life to the fullest, let us make sure we have a capable and competent vehicle.

Let’s move more, let’s move better, let’s live happier every day.

Nomad Slim
Founder of MOUVERS