Are you a Yoga Teacher? Physiotherapist? Osteopath? Weekend Warrior? Running Coach? Aspiring Movement Professional? Fitness Enthusiast, Body Nerd,
or First-Time Mover?
Welcome. We believe professional-level learning is for anyone who wants to know it all.
Anybody can dig deeper into how their body works. Exercise and movement science education are often geared (in language and expense) to the professional, but Nutritious Movement strives to make our information accessible no matter what your experience in movement education.
While we adore and continue to work with and develop our 500+ certified instructors, we have decided to go deep with our existing teachers rather than spreading certification wider. We no longer offer a certification program. Instead, you can study movement with us by using our books, video courses, and articles that will get you (and your kneecaps) pointed in your best direction.
Professional-style learning isn’t just about teaching others; it’s about dedicating a lot of time and more resources to learning all the nuances there are to movement. We specialize in teaching how to quantify and qualify your body’s movement. We help you see where your body might not be moving at all, despite your being active overall. Once you train your eye for more nuanced movement, you can help others see it too.
There is no wrong way to learn our content, but there is a lot of it, and many people appreciate having some direction. Here’s our suggested path to studying the movement of your own body (but feel free to bounce around in a way that suits you best).
Wide Reading: Articles
We’ve been producing movement education content for over a decade. Some of our key articles have been organized for easier learning. To get a big overview of NM theory and to start establishing a robust exercise toolbox, read these article compilations. We’re putting this first because 1) it’s free and 2) you’ll get the widest picture, which will help as you start to drill down.
Our Favorite Feet, Footwear, and Walking Resources
Our Best “Healthy Pelvis” Resources
More Movement for Babies and Kids
Moving Well During Pregnancy
Why I Went Furniture-Free
Dynamic At Home
Deeper Reading: Books
The first book we suggest you read is Move Your DNA. It’s the “textbook” that will provide you with the broadest framework to our approach.
Then you can make your way through our other titles in the order that most interests you. Each book can be considered an expansion of a topic from Move Your DNA, and you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the exercises and concepts as you see them explained in different contexts. The books I’ve written are available in print and e-book; some are also available as audiobooks. You can find foreign translations here. If you want to move more, you can pair book titles with the Whole Body Biomechanics courses (see below).
Learning The Moves
Fill your toolbox with the nuts and bolts of our foundational exercises. Our Nutritious Movement Improvement program gives you 75 individual exercises. Learn the ABCs of each move, and get walked through a logical progression. Great for movement professionals, detail-oriented learners, or anyone who has a specific area of their body they want to move in a focused way.
Learning The Context Of The Exercises
Once you’ve learned the ins and outs of an individual exercise, the next step is understanding where they fit into larger and more practical movements. This helps you see how they relate to each other, how they relate to larger, integrated movements, and where movement fits into life outside of exercise time. We currently offer two such video courses, done in conjunction with some of our favorite movement partners (both of which offer professional certifications!):
Walking Well: A Stepwise Approach to an Everyday Movement. Deconstructs walking, which is a larger category of movement, into small sections, so you can make sure all your body parts are moving their best with each step.
Natural Movement® Fundamentals. Learn how individual corrective exercises integrate into bigger movements. Our perspective is that a natural movement practice provides the greatest amount of movement per time spent moving. It also affords the greatest distribution in movement over a body, and both MovNat® and Nutritious Movement believe natural movement is for everyone.
Mentorship: Face-To-Face Sessions
Live instruction is our favorite way to learn (and teach!) movement. Attending a Move Your DNA Weekend (in-person, or via Zoom as necessary) provides eyes-on, hands-on instruction that responds to your individual form. If you’re interested in teaching, you can learn a lot by watching excellent teachers in action at these weekends.
You can also work with one of our Restorative Exercise Specialists locally or online (use our map to find someone close), getting clarity on the exercises and receiving feedback on your form and approach. If you are already familiar with the movements beforehand, you’ll get even more out of these sessions.
Daily Practice: Virtual Studio Membership
The best way to learn movement is to apply what you’ve learned, i.e., move and move and move some more. Some of our top teachers have simply spent hours in class moving with me. The VSM is the best way we know how to #stackyourlife when it comes to continuing education. Classes are inexpensive and ongoing, and they build your body of knowledge and your body at the same time. Start with the 22-session Alignment Snacks series to get solid on the basics and how we utilize form. When studying movement, it’s easy to get stuck in theory if you’re mostly interacting with ideas and text; once you get your body moving regularly, you’ll see how something like “knee-pit alignment” or elbow position works not with one or two moves, but dozens of them.
Read: Anti-Racism Resources For Movement Professionals
There’s work to be done to move us towards an anti-racist world, and that world includes movement spaces! If you’re in charge of a space hosting others, or would simply like to become more aware of vital issues, we’ve put together a few resources to start or continue you on that journey.