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Ecological Fitness (EcoFit) is the creation of Carl Ekholm, a level 2 MovNat Certified Trainer and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Through natural movement, nutritional therapy, and nature connection, Carl draws upon our natural history to help guide people toward their birthright of optimal health.
EcoFit represents the intersection of nature and health. Science reveals how our species evolved to become what it is today. Combined with the accumulated wisdom of indigenous peoples, it is abundantly clear that we come from, and are very much a part of nature. Knowing that, it's pretty obvious to understand that our bodies and minds are healthiest when living in line with our natural context.
While there are of course many benefits to simply spending time in nature, doing so is only one piece of the health puzzle. Engaging and interacting with nature in a meaningful way is the incredibly important step that people often lack, to no fault of their own. It simply isn't included in the education system anymore, much to the detriment of public health and well-being.
Being members of the animal kingdom, the primary way humans engage with their environment is through movement. We can't sit there and absorb sunlight for energy like plants, so we have to move to acquire our food and other resources. Like all other animals, humans have inherited their own set of natural movements through countless generations of adapting to their environment. In fact, humans have a very wide variety of natural movement skills compared to some other animals. We can crawl, walk, balance, run, lift, throw, catch, climb, swim, and jump to name a few, in a wide variety of ways to suit different environments. Many other animals can perform those movements as well, but in their own way unique to their physiology and anatomy.
In my opinion, MovNat represents a kind of how-to "user manual" for the human body in regards to movement. MovNat's approach focuses on movement (as opposed to exercise), of which Natural Movement forms its basis. It uses a systematic yet intuitive approach to develop efficient, practical movement patterns and skills. It's scalable and progressive for all skill levels and individuals, meaning a practice session may range in focus from ground-based movements for newer practitioners to barefoot trail running or tree climbing for more experienced practitioners (although everyone can benefit from regular ground movements).
While these Natural Movements were once a prominent part of daily life for most of humanity's existence, this is clearly no longer the case. As such, it is necessary to relearn healthy movement patterns through tried and tested methods like MovNat, in order to attain optimal health and happiness.
Children universally and instinctively practice the full suite of natural movements that are available to our species through "play". I'm sure you remember crawling, running, jumping, climbing, balancing, etc. on all manner of things as a kid. I know I do, and a quick trip to the playground can refresh your memory if you somehow forgot.
All other animals "play" during their adolescence as well, but in their own way. This is instinctual in all animals because it helps prepare for life as an adult, when these movement skills must be preformed regularly in a safe and effective manner in order to survive.
Unlike most animals, however, humans typically stop performing many of the natural movements we practiced as children when we reach adulthood and often before. Especially over the last few decades, there has been a major shift away from a more movement-based existence (i.e. hunting & gathering and farming) to a much more sedentary lifestyle. Early on, children are told to "sit down and be quiet" during long periods of the day during school, and are only allowed a short window to move freely during recess. This trend continues as we get older, where there is a great financial (among other reasons) incentive to work behind a desk for extended periods. We're seeing now that this chronic inactivity is having devastating results on the human body, mind and spirit.
To use the wild animal analogy again, let's consider that although adult wild animals don't exhibit "play" behavior as frequently as they did growing up, the movements they perform on a daily basis are still almost exactly the same. The pouncing the cubs do to one another which looks like play is also practice for adulthood when they'll regularly need to successfully pounce onto their prey in order to feed themselves and their families.
By their example, it stands to reason that adult humans ought to continue performing their own natural movements which come so easily to us as children. The closest living examples of "wild humans" today are the scattered bands of hunter-gatherers. Adults of these bands have to employ the full suite of natural movements on a regular basis in order to survive, and coincidentally keep remarkably good health and happiness.
With Ecological Fitness, my aim is to reconnect people to their natural, optimal health that should be our birthright through Natural Movement, nutrient-dense whole foods, time spent outdoors, quality sleep, nourishing communities, and exuberant playfulness.
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