Expanding Your Movement Vocabulary
With Katy Bowman
I just got back from the Health & Fitness Association convention in San Diego… one of those events that leaves you buzzing for days. So many highlights, but nothing topped celebrating Elaine LaLanne’s 100th birthday and watching her Jack and LaLa be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The energy in that room was a reminder of why this work matters so deeply.
Speaking of energy… the single question I heard more than any other at the convention was this: Kathy, how do you maintain your agility and mobility in your mid-seventies? The answer, it turns out, starts long before you get there. The way you move through your everyday life right now is quietly shaping how agile and capable you’ll feel ten or twenty years from now.
Language of Movement
A few years ago, I sat down with movement expert Katy Bowman for a podcast episode, and everything she shared has only become more relevant since. Her core idea is simple but powerful: movement isn’t just something you schedule. It’s something you live.
Most of us have shrunk our daily movement down to a handful of repetitive patterns, what Katy calls a limited “movement vocabulary.” But our bodies were designed for so much more!
The good news? You don’t need a gym to fix it. Here are 4 practical ways to start weaving richer, more varied movement into every hour of your day:
1. Ground Living
Spend 20-30 minutes each evening sitting on the floor while watching TV or reading. Mix up your positions – try cross-legged, side-sitting, or long-sitting. When you need to fidget or adjust, that’s perfect! Each position change adds to your movement vocabulary.
2. Kitchen Choreography
One of my favorite tips from Katy is to strategically reorganize your kitchen. Place frequently used items on the top shelf or in low cabinets. This natural movement practice builds stretching and squatting into your daily routine – no extra time required!
3. Walking with Purpose
Choose one or two regular destinations that you typically drive to and commit to walking there instead. Whether it’s the post office, a coffee shop, or a friend’s house nearby, these purposeful walks add natural movement to your day.
4. Chair-Less Living
While you don’t need to remove all your furniture like Katy has done, consider sitting on the floor in front of your couch occasionally, or try cross-legged sitting on your chair instead of the usual position.
Beyond Exercise
The key insight I gained from my conversation with Katy is that movement isn’t just about exercise – it’s about nourishment. Just as we need a variety of nutrients in our diet, our bodies thrive on varied movement throughout the day. This isn’t about burning calories or building muscle (though those are nice bonuses). It’s about maintaining our body’s natural capabilities and preventing what Katy calls “movement poverty.”
When we start thinking about movement this way, every moment becomes an opportunity. Can you stretch while folding laundry? Squat while playing with your grandchildren? Balance on one foot while brushing your teeth? These aren’t exercises – they’re ways to feed your body the movement nutrition it craves.