As winter draws closer you might be finding it hard to find the motivation to get out of bed. It’s time to escape the thought of the dreaded exercise hibernation and get in shape!
There’s a growing fitness culture to perfectly support this drive of going back to your roots – your primal roots, that is.
This re-discovery of ‘nature conditioning’ is visible at most open-air recreation spots.You can see people swinging heavy things with chunky, chopping actions, crawling on the ground, girls doing chin-ups, guys climbing ropes, and others running in glove-like shoes resembling monkey feet.
Primal movement theory proposes that, despite the artificialness of modern living, we are essentially still organic creatures, evolved to move and eat in specific ways for proper functioning… and vis-a-vis to look our best.
So how did training progress to address evolution? Fitness pros started using primal movement patterns to design workouts years ago, and have been slowly realising that a holistic view of a person creates sustainable health and aesthetics. From wellbeing-obsessed ‘Chek’ trainers, to ‘Crossfit’ style bootcamp groups, this future-primitive theme has developed into a diverse species. The exercises burn ample energy and focus on muscles such as the glutes, making them ideal for bikini season preparation.
Outdoor exercise enthusiasts such as ‘free runners’ draw influence from a century-old French training philosophy, la Méthode Naturelle. This was patterned on the abilities and healthy physiques of African tribes: ‘Their bodies were splendid, flexible, nimble, skilful, enduring, resistant and yet they had no other tutor in Gymnastics but their lives in Nature.’ The modern interpretations of la Méthode Naturelle use the available environment, urban or natural, to forge innovative workout methods that are crossing over into mainstream fitness.
Celebs have also picked up the trend. Kim Kardashian’s workout, for example, includes primal classics such as ‘side lunge with woodchop’, and uses just dumbbells, medicine balls and body weight moves.
From dieticians, there are primal eating plans, or paleo and hunter-gatherer diets. Theoretically our tummies haven’t yet evolved to deal with half the junk we put in them, particularly the processed stuff, so eat more like our ancestors did. There are oodles of paleo diet types: high protein, raw, vegan, and more. Phrases such as ‘metabolic testing’ and ‘grass-fed beef’ dominate terminology for a scientific yet pure vibe.
You don’t have to start running barefoot, climbing trees and eating raw fish. Choose your own involvement level. Moderation is effective, and extremes are not always lasting. Best of all, you can stay in the gym and don’t need to get dirty. Try the following to give a spring fitness regime some primordial power:
Exercise
- Add big, free movements with coordination-busting mixes of squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, twisting and bending
- Sidestep seated machines and perform plenty of bodyweight work
- Minimise rest between exercises, use interval cardio and run lots if possible
- Randomly add climbing, swimming, throwing and balancing activities.
Nutrition
- Get your carbs from fruits and veges and natural proteins from nuts, eggs, and meat – and remember, some fats are good
- Minimise or eliminate grains, sugars and processed foods
The primal cult directly contrasts some of the softer, wholesome workout styles. However, as in yoga, there’s a real mind-body-spirit element; it’s about listening to your body’s ‘inner wisdom’ and ‘organic origins’. So become a highly evolved exerciser and find your wild side!
