get moving
Much of the theory and practice behind MonkeyDo is about addressing the trade-offs we've made to live in a modern, technology-driven society.
In this environment, many of our born instincts - like balancing or resting in a full squat - have become unnecessary for day-to-day survival.
As these instincts atrophy so too do our muscles, tendons, and even nerves. Our ability to move is replaced with stiffness, pain, and eventually injury.
This even happens to athletes who, despite being active, are also negatively affected by the modern habits they endure away from their sports.
The modern world is here to stay.
WE have to change in order to live in it.
What does this mean?
At MonkeyDo it means returning to your instincts.
It means practicing high-quality movement.
In order to move well, you need to know the
principles behind our body's amazing design.
You need to relearn "The Principles of Movement."
Below are a some of the main principles
we focus on in our joint repair programs.
Through these principles you can heal your pain and reconnect with your body at a deep level, restoring the powerful, pain-free movement that is your birthright:
Breathing impacts every aspect of our health, and most of us are bad at it. Become a better breather and increase power, stamina, and coordination during activity while decreasing stress, fatigue, and anxiety at rest.
Keeping an even keel when moving was once a matter of life and death for humans. Today? Not so much. But if you want to explore movement safely and acquire skills quickly, you must become a student of balance. Get on one foot and start learning!
Our necks provide a nearly 360° view of the world. At least they’re supposed to. Modern living opposes this design, putting us in chronically-sloped postures that impair the neck’s ability to move freely and deliver oxygen to the head. Put your phone down and look around. Your brain literally depends on it.
The instinctive movements that accompany yawning have a hidden purpose: restoring shoulder function and correcting upper back posture, making them the perfect entry point for curing rotator cuff weakness and sloped posture, two common impediments to quality movement. Let’s yawn ‘em away!
Our hand and foot grips (yes, feet are designed to grip) give humans a near-limitless ability to perform complex motor tasks and traverse all kinds of terrain. Our grip is also an important "biomarker," or measure of overall health and longevity. That’s right, better grip equals longer life. Do I have your attention? Develop the world beyond typing and swiping and get a grip!
Judging by most fitness marketing, squats have one purpose: getting likes. In reality squatting is a fundamental movement pattern that keeps the hips and spine healthy, and preserves our locomotive capacity. Yes, it also makes your butt look good. But what’s better than getting likes? Getting around with ease. That’s what squats are (really) for.
Humans are designed to hinge at the hip. It lets us pick things up, slow or stop a fall, and lower our center to perform athletic movements. Sedentary habits ruin this ability, impairing our most basic functions and setting up a lifetime of back pain. Wanna fix it? Bend over. Better.
Really? Yes, crawling or “quadrupedal movement” was an essential form of human locomotion for most of our history. Using our feet and hands to traverse difficult terrain, sneak up on prey, hide from predators, or simply lower ourselves to the ground was as normal as walking. Applied to today, you’ll find crawling to be an incredible tool for building total body strength and agility, distilling all the other Principles into one skill. Critter Mode, activate!
