When I take new clients into the forest to train I
find there are two things that make them feel
pretty darn stiff the next day, even if to my
conventional gym goers it appears that they’ve
only done a light workout.
First their bodies go into positions that they would
otherwise never find themselves in. Joints will go
through a much wider range of motion than they
are used to, making this excellent mobility work.
(If you’ve tried taking a huge first step to get off
the ground and onto the first branch of a tree,
you’ll know what I mean.)
Secondly, every movement is unique. Because
each inch of a wood is different, individuals must
adapt their movement in complex and subtle ways
each time. Every muscle and every joint has a
part to play. There is no machine isolating muscle
groups as there will be in your local gym centre.
Movement faults or postural issues have nowhere
to hide.
Only one in three
children are physically
active every day (National
Association for Sport and Physical