This article has kindly been shared by Alison Richmond of Provention
In the Western world, we’ve been studying the wrong people for decades.
If you want to move better, get stronger, and avoid injury,
don’t start with elite athletes or rehab protocols. Start with people who’ve never lost their natural movement.
Study the Uninjured
The real masters of movement?
-
- Children under seven
- Rural farmers
- Street vendors in Vietnam
- Tribes untouched by modern sitting culture
These people move efficiently, instinctively – without overthinking it.
No one taught them to “brace their core” or “keep their back straight,” yet they move with grace and strength.
What is Physical Intelligence?
We call this natural, efficient way of moving physical intelligence. It shows up in people who:
-
- Squat fully to rest
- Hinge from the hips, not the spine
- Transition smoothly between positions
- Walk tall and relaxed, not stiff or braced
They don’t think about movement – they just move!
Where It All Goes Wrong
From the moment we enter school, we’re told to sit still, sit straight, pull shoulders back. We start “correcting” what wasn’t broken – and lose our connection to natural movement.
The Gokhale Method & What We’ve Learned
Esther Gokhale’s work confirmed what we’ve long believed: healthy movement is preserved, not rebuilt.
At AIM, with Provention’s First Move Manual Handling Training we help people rediscover the way they used to move – by removing unhelpful cues and restoring instinctive balance.
A Simple Challenge: Move Naturally
Next time you bend forward, be like the workers in the rice paddy’s. Try this:
-
- Let your hips move back as your upper body moves forward
-
- Keep knees soft, feel your weight in your heels
-
- Don’t brace – just hinge naturally
You’ll be surprised how stable and light it feels. This isn’t a “new” method – it’s your original movement pattern.
