#AnimalMovesBook
Animal Moves first published in the United Kingdom in 2018 by Explorer
Publishing Copyright Text: © 2018 Darryl Edwards
Design and Concept: © 2018 Explorer Publishing Paperback ISBN: 978-099332984-5
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9933298-5-2
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library The
moral rights of Darryl Edwards to be identified as the author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior
written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of
binding or cover other than that in which it is published, other than for ‘fair use’
as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior permission of
the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or
otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in
which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition
being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
DEDICATED TO:
Natasha,
you are sorely missed.
20 March 2016
Play is essential to me, to be sure to get the most out of the Animal Moves
experience, download the free Importance of Play eBook from the link below
and learn how and why you need to spend more time on the playful path.
http://bit.ly/PP-N
TRAIN
ANIMAL MOVE HUMAN
#TrainAnimalMoveHuman
CONTENTS
Disclaimer
1 Introduction
2 Whats The Plan?
3 Warm-Up
4 Cool-Down
5 Week One
6 Week Two
7 Week Three
8 Week Four
9 The Moves
10 The Postures
Food For Thought
Research
About The Author
Animal Moves Online
“There’s nothing funnier than the human animal.”
- WALT DISNEY
DISCLAIMER
Use caution when beginning a new fitness programme. Not all exercise
programmes are suitable for everyone. This book conveys the author’s opinions
and ideas based on his research as well as each of his experiences with his
clients. It has been written and published strictly for informational, and
educational purposes only and in no way should be used as a substitute for
consultation with fitness or health care professionals. The author is providing
you with the information in this work so that you can have the knowledge and
can choose, at your risk, to act on that knowledge.
The author is not responsible or liable for any injury sustained as a result of
using the material herein. The author urges all readers to be aware of their health
status and to consult medical professionals before beginning any health, diet or
lifestyle programme.
“The puma is, with the exception of some monkeys, the most playful animal in
existence.”
- WILLIAM HENRY HUDSON
TESTIMONIALS
“I can’t speak highly enough of Darryl’s methods when it comes to improving
my OCR (Obstacle Course Racing) ability. Set aside your scepticism and give
it a try. Not only will you see a huge difference but his Animal Moves are
challenging and the most enjoyable sessions I have undertaken. Highly
recommended!”
- Iain Russell, Technologist
“The physical benefits of this programme can't be overstated, I feel
significantly more confident and able to meet life's challenges. It's great to be
able to run up the stairs without getting out of breath and to have fun outside
while getting fit. The goal setting exercises helped to keep me motivated.
Being active and healthy is what this lifestyle is all about—but a fantastic side
effect is that at the end of the 30 days I was able to fit into a dress I hadn't
worn in years!”
- Lina Valuckaite, Document Controller
“I love this because you can do it anywhere and it's a comprehensive total
body workout - covering strength, cardio and flexibility. It revealed my
strengths and weaknesses (especially my balance) and provided me with
renewed focus and a fun approach. Even though some of the movements are
tough, they are enjoyable. It's an exciting and diverse way to lean out and to
give you the results you want!”
- Jenny Moon, Sports Massage Therapist
“It's great to be taken back to the absolute fundamentals of movement.
Darryl's Animal Moves are innovative and surprisingly challenging. His
whole philosophy around fitness and exercise is contagious.”
- Rob Suchet, Company Director
Thinking of skipping past the introduction? *
__________
* It may be tempting to head straight to chapter 3 and start moving right away,
however you will be missing out on why we should be moving, how much we
should be doing and also the critical differences between movement, exercise
and physical activity.
1. INTRODUCTION
The most popular day to exercise is tomorrow; the second is next Monday, right?
We often feel this way because exercise can be perceived as tedious,
unnecessary work and unpleasant. It can be so difficult to feel motivated when
surrounded by an environment that encourages us to be sedentary. We may be
aware of the health benefits, we know we would feel better afterwards, but why
can it feel so awful even thinking about exercise? Let alone doing it!
Although it is my passion to promote living healthier lifestyles and movement
being a crucial part of that, I understand why some people hate to exercise.
Many people find the process intimidating or are concerned that they do not
have the time, money or ability to commit to it. I know because I have been there
too!
Gym attendance that fizzles out after a few weeks, even though you have
11 months of payments remaining on your contract?
A concern that everyone else at the gym knows precisely what they are
doing and you feel like the odd one out?
The idea that you have to get into shape first to begin exercising?
Convincing yourself that your 10-minute walk daily is enough
movement because you eat a healthy diet?
Well, I want to change the way you feel about exercise. It turned my life around
because it made me feel better. I know it can make you feel better too. You do
not need an expensive gym membership. You can do it anywhere: such as the
back garden, in the living room, or at the local park. You can do it by yourself,
with friends, family or colleagues—even the kids. You certainly don’t need
anything else to begin. So let us move on to defining exercise and movement.
Then we will follow with some of the reasons and research as to why it is
remarkably beneficial.
WHAT DO WE MEAN?
The terms movement, physical activity, fitness, exercise and training are often
used interchangeably, but there are differences.
Movement is the act or process of moving ranging from the ever so slight, such
as the involuntary blink of an eye to the most vigorous of voluntary muscle
activity like sprinting.
Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscle that
results in energy expenditure, which is beyond that of the body at rest; this could
include activities such as, walking, gardening and climbing stairs.
Exercise is a subset of physical activity that usually comprises planned,
structured and repetitive movement that one engages in for the pursuit of
developing or maintaining physical fitness.
Training is exercise performed to satisfy a long-term performance or skill goal,
which is planned and structured.
A sedentary lifestyle is a type of lifestyle with little or no physical activity; it
can contribute to ill health and many preventable causes of death.
Fitness is the ability to perform daily, recreational and extraordinary physical
tasks efficiently and effectively.
People that sit still more than 4 hours per day have a 40 per cent higher risk of
premature death than those that sit fewer than 4 hours per day.
Dunstan David W.; Owen Neville (2012). "New Exercise Prescription: Don't
Just Sit There: Stand Up and Move More, More Often". Arch Intern Med.
BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
“All parts of the body, if used in moderation and exercised in
labours to which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy and
well developed and age slowly; but if they are unused and left idle,
they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly.”
Hippocrates
What do all of these chronic conditions have in common?
Cardiovascular disease,
Stroke,
Type 2 diabetes,
Cancer,
Migraines,
Obesity,
Mental health problems such as depression and anxiety,
Musculoskeletal conditions such as chronic low-back pain?
Answer: there is substantial evidence that these and 20 other chronic conditions
can be prevented or managed by adults doing 30 minutes of moderate intensity
physical activity on at least five days a week.
Most of us are aware of the dangers of smoking, drinking, poor diet and stress
when it comes to lifestyle disease. There is clear evidence emerging that
prolonged periods of physical inactivity is associated with a heightened risk of
severe illness and premature death. The majority of us globally fail to meet the
recommended levels of physical activity for health and well-being not only for
adults but children too.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also called lifestyle or chronic diseases,
are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and in most
countries around the world.
There are many compelling reasons for why, as humans, we should be more
physically active.
Physical inactivity is one of the leading causes of non-communicable
diseases such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a positive association
between physical activity and psychological well-being, less depression,
enhanced cognitive function and a slowing down in the advancement of
dementia and neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
We should avoid prolonged sitting and hours spent being sedentary and find
opportunities for movement whenever we can. Walk more, take the stairs, avoid
the lifts, carry groceries home, consider the use of standing desks and take
regular movement snacks or breaks to walk around the office to decrease daily
non-active minutes and mitigate the risks.
There are many benefits to regular physical activity. It can help to:
Reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Reduce your risk of cancers including breast, lung, colon and prostate.
Improve self-esteem, mental health and mood.
Improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.
Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Improve concentration and cognitive ability.
Reduce anxiety, depression and better manage stress.
Reduce blood pressure for those with hypertension.
Decrease body fat by building and preserving lean muscle mass.
Prevent low-back pain by improving flexibility, strength and posture.
Reduce osteopenia and osteoporosis risk.
Increase your chances of living healthier for longer.
DEFINING PHYSICAL INACTIVITY
A type of lifestyle with little physical activity, which is defined by the World
Health Organisation (WHO) as less than 150 minutes of moderate physical
activity per week. Recent research suggests that sedentary behaviour is a
significant risk factor for chronic disease and mortality. Dame Sally Davies, the
chief medical officer of the UK, claimed inactivity was ‘a silent killer’ in the
Start Active, Stay Active - Sports England report.
THE BIGGEST PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM OF
THE 21ST CENTURY
A study of 54,000 people, published by Steven Blair, University of South
Carolina, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, reported that physical
inactivity increased the risk of early death and was more significant than the
dangers of smoking, type 2 diabetes, and obesity combined. This report
suggested that low cardiovascular, respiratory fitness is more likely to be
associated with premature death than obesity, smoking, hypertension (high blood
pressure), elevated cholesterol or diabetes.
Physical activity is often overlooked when discussing health risk factors, the
author of this landmark study on physical inactivity stated:
“My overriding concern is that the crucial importance of physical activity is
undervalued and underappreciated by many individuals in public health and
clinical medicine.”
Blair S et al. "Physical inactivity: the biggest public health problem of the
21st century", Br J Sports Med (2009)
FATNESS VS FITNESS
Several studies suggest higher risks of early death for those who are inactive
regardless of whether you are average weight, overweight or obese.
A study by a team from the University of Cambridge, recording and assessing
exercise levels, waistlines and deaths of over 334,000 European men and women
over a 12-year period, suggests that inactivity and sedentary behaviour carries a
more considerable mortality risk than being overweight or obese. The study
found that twice as many deaths may be attributable to lack of physical activity
compared with the number of deaths due to obesity, but that just a modest
increase in physical activity could have significant health benefits.
SITTING THE NEW SMOKING?
Do you spend most of your day at the office? Or work from home? Are you a
full-time student? Alternatively, spend most of your time driving for a living?
Well regardless the reality, quite simply, is that many of us today are sedentary.
Sitting too much the majority of your day or taking too few breaks from sitting is
terrible for your health—increased risk of fat gain and obesity, elevated bloodsugar levels, decreased insulin sensitivity, as well as increased risk of heart
disease, is associated with increases in sedentary time.
Prolonged periods of sustained sitting is being termed the new ‘smoking’ with
some experts calling it the ‘pandemic of inactivity.’ A recent meta-analysis of 43
studies, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute amounting to
more than 4 million people, found that significant periods of sitting were
associated with a 21% increased risk of lung cancer and a 24% increased
likelihood of colon cancer.
According to research commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) published
in the British Journal of Sports Medicine people spend nine hours on average
sitting down, 60 per cent of their waking time. For those working in offices, 6575 per cent of working hours are spent sitting.
In one landmark study from the 1950s, published by the epidemiologist Jeremy
Morris it was found that bus conductors who were moving all day as part of their
job had half the risk of heart disease death as colleagues who sat in the driver’s
seat all day.
A meta-analysis and systematic review of 18 studies conducted in 2012 found
those who sit the most were almost 50% at risk of dying early than those who
occupy their chairs the least. Pretty compelling evidence for us to move more!
One study from Dr Alan Hedge, a professor of ergonomics at Cornell
University, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that the
optimal mix of sitting, standing and moving during any half-hour was 20
minutes of sitting, 8 minutes of standing and 2 minutes of moderate intensity
activity. That is sometimes referred to as the 20-8-2 rule.
SO WHAT AND HOW MUCH
SHOULD WE DO?
According to research, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and government
health departments around the world, there are two types of weekly physical
activity required to stay healthy: aerobic and resistance. Aerobic also known as
cardio predominantly means working the heart and lungs—thereby improving
the body’s ability to utilise oxygen; resistance means mainly contracting the
skeletal muscles against gravity or using external weight to enhance muscular
strength and endurance.
How much physical activity required is all dependent on age:
BABIES
Babies should be encouraged to be physically active throughout the day except
when sleeping.
TODDLERS/CHILDREN (UNDER 5)
Children should be physically active for at least three hours a day and should not
be inactive for lengthy periods except when they are sleeping.
CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE (5-17)
At least 60 minutes of physical activity daily which ranges from moderate to
vigorous aerobic activity.
A minimum of three days a week should cover vigorous aerobic activity.
Three days a week should incorporate resistance activities that build strong
muscles and bones, such as playing tag or jumping.
ADULTS (18-64) AND OLDER ADULTS (65 AND OVER)
A minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of
vigorous aerobic activity (or an equivalent combination of moderate and
vigorous activity) in bouts of at least 10 minutes duration.
At least two days of strength (resistance) training weekly that maintains healthy
muscle mass and preserves bone density and works all the major muscle groups
(legs, back, hips, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
Additional health benefits can be gained by increasing moderate aerobic activity
to 300 minutes per week, or 150 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity
per week.
Older adults and those at risk of falls should do exercises to improve balance and
coordination such as dancing.
RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION
The Rate of Exertion (RPE) scale is used to measure the intensity of your
exercise. The RPE scale runs from 0 – 10. The numbers below relate to phrases
used to rate how easy or difficult you find an activity. 0 would be no exertion at
all for example, how you feel when sitting down in a chair and 8 or 9 would be
an all out sprint! Your RPE is based on how hard, on a scale of 1 to 10, you
perceive yourself to be working.
Moderate-intensity activity requires a moderate amount of effort and
noticeably accelerates the heart rate, makes you breathe faster and can lead you
to sweat. Singing at this level of intensity is difficult.
Vigorous-intensity activity requires a large amount of effort makes you breathe
hard and fast. It is difficult to say a few words without pausing for breath at this
level of intensity.
MORE MOVEMENT NOT JUST EXERCISE
Our bodies were designed to move and not just in relation to set periods of time
for exercise. The positives of being active are well researched and documented
especially concerning health and well-being. Physical inactivity has been
identified as the fourth leading risk factor for deaths globally (6% of deaths) this
follows hypertension (13%), tobacco use (9%) and elevated blood glucose (6%).
Being overweight and obesity, the fifth leading risk factor, are responsible for
5% of global deaths according to the World Health Organization’s prescription
detailed in the Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health.
MOVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
We should avoid prolonged sitting and hours spent being sedentary and find
opportunities for movement whenever we can. Walk more, take the stairs, avoid
the lifts, carry groceries home, consider the use of standing desks and take
regular movement snacks or breaks to walk around the office to decrease daily
non-active minutes and mitigate the risks.
The important principle to keep in mind here is that you should mix it up when it
comes to standing, sitting and moving. Sitting all by itself is not good for your
health, but neither is standing all day, either. It is best to integrate standing and
movement throughout the day, merely take breaks from sitting often.
BRAIN TRAINING: A study of over 1000 people, published in the journal
Neurology, looked at the brains and fitness levels of subjects aged 40 and
measured them again 20 years later. They found that those with lowered
fitness levels during the two-decade gap had significantly smaller brain
volumes, meaning their brain aged faster than those who had continued being
active.
OUR RECENT HISTORY
In the 19th Century, the Physical Culture movement attempted to address the
problem of the middle classes increasingly being impacted by diseases attributed
to a sedentary lifestyle; things have only worsened since then. With the pace of
technological innovation in the past century, movement and physical exertion
have become increasingly optional in Western societies as well as for the
developing world.
We sit in front of televisions and computers for hours on end. We rarely
transport ourselves to work or school by walking or riding bicycles. We seek out
escalators and lifts/elevators to avoid climbing stairs, and relatively few of us
engage in regular planned exercise. Man’s modern environment may have
changed, but we can still benefit from moving today as nature intended.
OUR ANCESTRAL PAST
Our ancient ancestors chased prey as hunter-gatherers, walked for miles
gathering and scavenging food and did whatever they could to avoid predators.
Even modern-day Hadza hunter-gatherers engage in fourteen times more
moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity than large epidemiological
studied populations in the USA.
A few hundred years ago we were extensively involved with manual labour on
farms and in factories. We spent more time walking, did housework without
labour-saving devices and used no time watching TV or playing video games.
With the technological advance in recent decades serving to create occupations,
transportation and household tasks that require less exertion this figure is
expected to rise.
Even though the advantages of physical activity and exercise are extensively
researched and documented—which include physical, mental, social and
psychological benefits—most of us just don’t do enough of it!
Heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and mental health occur at much higher
rates than they would if most of us led physically active lives.
WHAT ABOUT NOW?
Do any of the following statements describe you?
I am too busy to be physically active.
I do not know where to start.
I know how to start but do not know how to maintain an active lifestyle.
I am just overwhelmed with all the options available to me.
If any of those statements resonate with you, or if you are already active but are
looking for new ideas, this book is for you. Animal Moves is a tried and tested
programme for improving your health and well-being through physical activity.
Try it and see what a difference natural, primal movement can make in your life.
By applying the information, skills and movement patterns provided you will get
leaner, fitter, stronger and healthier.
Animal Moves will be challenging but fun, some things will be difficult to do at
first, second or even every attempt. Be patient and focus on the experience. Read
the workout descriptions, review the movements and do the best you can. Don't
be disappointed with what you feel you should be able to do, don't feel
concerned that you have to stop before the timer is up, but be pleased that every
second of participation means progress.
Don't compare your efforts with anyone else, don't compare your efforts with a
prior time in your life when you were fitter than you are now, and do not
compare yourself to anyone else. This journey is about you and YOUR
experience alone.
Make sure you read the WHAT'S THE PLAN? chapter before you begin. This
features hints and tips to ensure that you understand what is required for each
day going forward and some guidance around the Animal Moves philosophy.
TRAIN LIKE AN ANIMAL
As a child, you probably played in the playground pretending you were different
wild animals. Maybe you pretended you were a tiger as you tracked your prey,
or a kangaroo as you hopped off the merry-go-round. When you did it as a kid,
the primary motivation was probably because it was fun. However, it turns out
that moving like an animal is a way of keeping us naturally flexible, improving
mobility and ensuring that we work all our muscle groups at the same time.
People have been using their body weight for centuries as a form of training; it is
a very inexpensive way to exercise efficiently improving strength and toning
without requiring additional weight or equipment. Animal movements add some
much-needed variety.
In short, moving like an animal—whether it’s crawling like a bear, hopping like
a bunny, jumping like a kangaroo or walking like a cat—is a great way to work
on all areas of fitness at the same time and to make bodyweight training more
interesting and varied than doing scores of push-ups and sit-ups. These moves
can help you to avoid injury, get all-over toning, and improve your core stability.
In fact, in 2017 the American College of Sports Medicine identified bodyweight
workouts as one of the top 5 fitness trends of the year, and it has been that way
for many years.
TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
The Animal Moves programme combines a number of different elements,
including cardio, resistance and agility exercises to boost power, conditioning
and flexibility. Think of it as an all-in-one workout. Instead of spending 30
minutes on the exercise bike, 30 minutes in the weight room and another 10
minutes on the treadmill, you can combine cardio and resistance all into one
single workout in a much shorter space of time.
These exercises are fantastic at activating the core, tightening up the abs, and
helping to boost metabolism by carrying out vigorous, flowing and fluid
movements. It is useful when time pressured to know that the quality and
intensity of the workout is more important than merely elapsed time.
A study published in the Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism
comparing steady-state cardio with whole-body, combined aerobic and
resistance training, like that adopted in this programme, supplies a
cardiovascular workout similar to endurance training, but with the added
benefits of increased balanced muscle strength and perceived enjoyment too.
“Extremely low volume, whole-body aerobic-resistance training improves
aerobic fitness and muscular endurance in females.”, McRae G et al., Appl
Physiol Nutr Metab. 2012 Dec;
CONNECT MIND AND BODY
Best of all, these workouts do more than challenge the body—they also
challenge the mind. With different combinations of moves, carried out in a
different sequence, you are forcing your mind to work in new ways. What the
brain needs to boost cognitive function is constant change and experiences, to
build new neural pathways and repair old ones.
These exercises are fun, playful and reminiscent of childhood, meaning they are
a great way to transform the way you approach your overall exercise regimen.
By injecting animal-inspired exercises and crawling movements into your
weekly workout mix, you will have a way to challenge both the body and mind
and walk away with a more toned, coordinated body. This exercise is even more
effective at boosting the feel-good hormones such as endorphins, serotonin and
dopamine providing exhilaration, happiness and pleasure.
Unlike regular movement, which is often performed without thinking, mindful
movement is the act of purposefully moving one’s body while paying attention
to how the entire body responds to these actions. It is the act of noticing the body
as the whole and not just an isolated part. By doing so, it is possible to establish
a real and meaningful mind-body connection.
BENEFITS OF MINDFUL MOVEMENT
A growing body of empirical evidence suggests that there are real physical and
mental benefits associated with mindful movement. For example, in June 2015,
the medical journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience published an article
(“Mindful Movement and Skilled Attention”) suggesting that the mindful
organising of body movements could have positive implications for mental and
cognitive activity. The researchers suggested that bodily movement, if done
purposefully, could become the basis for cultivating specific mental skills, such
as better focus and attention.
This empirical evidence supports what practitioners of activities like Qigong, Tai
Chi and yoga have known for centuries – by combining breathing techniques,
visualisation, slow movements and meditation, it is possible to achieve cognitive
benefits like concentration, a state of relaxation and enhanced mood.
While mindful movement is undoubtedly related to yoga, it is different in that it
is based much more on merely noticing how the entire body moves and responds
to a particular movement. As you progress, you will detect things like how you
are breathing, or which parts of the body are in contact with the ground. Taking
into account the environment and what’s around you and most importantly being
absorbed with how you are feeling. It is something that can be performed at any
time of the day and does not require any specialised equipment or attire. It also
does not necessitate executing exercises in a darkened room while listening to
Enya.
For example, one mindful movement is simply sitting down on the floor and
then getting back up, all while carefully focusing on how the body performs this
action. This act of standing from a sitting position is so ingrained in us and so
natural that we often do not realise the complex movements—of arms, legs, and
torso—but also the balance, timing and coordination that are required to get up
off the floor.
However, when you break down each movement into discrete parts, you start to
gain a holistic view of how the entire body works. For example, just try getting
up from the floor without using your arms at all and notice how different that
feels in comparison to using one or both arms.
This combination of mental benefits (calm, relaxation and enhanced focus) and
the physical benefits (coordination, balance, flexibility) is what makes mindful
movement such an attractive area for further research. Some researchers, in fact,
have suggested that principles of mindful movement could unlock a solution for
mental health problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD).
For just about anyone, the more you practice mindful movement, the more you
will be able to establish a meaningful mind-body connection and obtain these
physical and mental benefits, including a significant positive effect on stress
reduction.
WILL THIS WORK FOR ME?
Many people might think they cannot do these exercises because they are not
skinny, fit or flexible enough, don’t have enough stamina, or don’t want to do
anything ‘weird’. They might also be worried that these movement patterns will
take hours every day and months of their lives before they see any improvement
in their health.
The truth is that the Animal Moves programme is for everyone, no matter what
your age, weight or fitness level. This is possible for young and old alike. In fact,
many older adults get a whole new lease on life doing this because it increases
their range of motion, improves balance and relieves stiffness. The long, lean
muscle built through natural, primal movements can protect bones and ageing
joints to keep older adults mobile and injury-free.
“I don’t like the gym, but things like this are wonderful. It’s that sense of
freedom in movement and that’s what I see in Darryl’s practice”, Kathy, 75
The Animal Moves programme builds strength, stamina, mobility and flexibility
and gives you energy and the kind of glow you have been noticing in everyone
who takes part in regular physical activity. Best of all, you do not need to spend
hours on end for years to develop a stronger mind, body and spirit. A movement
practice you can do at home for 15-30 minutes a day can set you on the road to
better health and avoids venturing into chronic cardio territory by overdoing it.
In this programme, I will be setting you a challenge to make healthy movement a
healthy part of your life starting with Day 1. Let’s determine your workout
level!
SELECT YOUR LEVEL
The plan is based on different workouts that vary in theme and intensity. You
can select your level according to your mood, fitness level and time availability
on a particular day. The important thing is that you attempt something daily.
Some workout days are designed for all levels such as days focusing on posture
and breathing. Other days such as the Movement Circuits and High-Intensity
Intervals are categorised for beginners, intermediate or advanced levels.
If in doubt start the workouts as a beginner, sustainable progress is far better
than overreaching and burning out quickly.
Categorise yourself as a BEGINNER if 3 or more of the following are true.
You are sedentary and exercise at most once a week;
You get out of breath easily;
You are recovering from illness or injury;
You have never done any movements like this before;
You haven't worked out for six months or more;
Or you only do cardio workouts—such as running, jogging, cycling.
Categorise yourself as INTERMEDIATE if 3 or more of the following are true.
You are physically active and exercise a few times a week;
You have completed one or more of my seminars/courses (or similar);
You feel comfortable working at intermediate level and maintaining
good quality technique and form;
You can do ten good quality push-up/press-ups without the use of the
knees;
You do regular cardio and resistance/strength training.
Categorise yourself as ADVANCED if 4 or more of the following are true.
You undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per
week, pretty much every week;
You are familiar with these movements and are not prone to injury;
You can do 30 good quality push-up/press-up with no issues;
You can sprint 100m flat-out or run for a 6 minute mile/1.5km without
an issue;
You have attempted a couple of intermediate level sessions and knew
you could easily do more.
Common sense rules apply. As a general rule, pick a level lower than you
expect to feel comfortable with and switch up to a higher level once a week
say if you are feeling extra energetic! You can switch to more moderate levels
or do another breathing/posture day if you are feeling tired and stiff.
GET S.M.A.R.T. WITH GOAL SETTING
As you embark on the Animal Moves programme it is important to set goals.
Making yourself accountable is one key to success. One method that can help is
making these goals SMART.
A SMART goal is used as a simple way of setting goals in any area of life and is
especially useful when attempting any form of lifestyle change.
SMART stands for making goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant
and Timed.
Specific - specify exactly what you want from your goal, don’t be vague.
Measurable - can you measure and track its success?
Achievable - set an objective you can realistically attain.
Relevant - is this a suitable goal for YOU and you alone?
Timed - set a time frame for this goal.
Specific:
A specific goal is essential to success. Indeed it is impossible to be focused
without this step. It also aids in motivation when you can keep your eye on the
destination. One goal is to continue the programme for the next 28-days.
Measurable:
We need some form of measurement, a starting point, a goal and a way to
measure or track progress along the way there. For example, body fat
percentage, waist circumference or resting heart rate can be measured and
monitored.
Achievable:
It must be possible to achieve your goal, safely. It should be within the limits of
what is right for your health and something you can deliver. You are more likely
to achieve your overall goal when you meet your short-term (daily) goals.
Relevant:
Make your aim realistic and appropriate to your needs.
Timed:
Setting a target date enables you to focus on your goal and to see how you are
progressing towards it.
WRITE DOWN YOUR GOAL
Find a quiet place to think about your goal. Visualise it, write it down and put it
somewhere you can see it often. Focus on what you want for yourself, and use
the following paragraph structure as a basis. Studies show that people are more
accountable when they know people expect them to do something. Share your
goals on social media and ask others for their support and motivation.
I will [describe your goal] by [enter what you will do to achieve your goal]. I
will do this within/by [set a time frame/end date]. I will ensure I'm making
progress because [detail how you will monitor progress].
For example:
I will reduce my high blood pressure by increasing my physical activity
levels, improving my diet and getting adequate sleep. I will also cut my
body fat percentage from 22% to 20%. I will do this in 28 days by following
this programme at home and in my local park, cooking more at home,
eating out less and going to bed earlier. My main beverage choice will be
water and I will avoid processed foods and snacks.
I will ensure I am making progress by taking weekly body fat
measurements and blood pressure readings. I will do some of these sessions
with my partner too so we can motivate each other and will think about
how I can get more movement in my life when not exercising!
Always reflect on your ability before doing any of the
workouts in this book.*
__________
*However it is important to get started as soon as possible too. Re-read SELECT
YOUR LEVEL if you are unsure where to begin—always perform a warm-up
before each session and then a cool-down afterwards.
3. WARM-UP
“Darryl Edwards made a huge impression on both me and my son
when we took his workshops at Paleo f(x). His playful approach to
fitness and movement is revolutionary. We've been doing his animal
moves every day and the results in our lives have been
extraordinary.”
Raven Grey
Preparation, this is more than just a warm-up! In addition to preparing our bodies
for movement, we will use this opportunity to keep our workouts playful. The
emphasis is on smooth, controlled movement, staying within a controlled range
of motion that gradually increases as your muscles and joints loosen and warmup. Think of it as lubricating the joints and regaining your natural right to
freedom of movement.
Before each workout, perform some of the following activities for about 1
minute each, for a total of 5 or so minutes of warm-up to wake up your nervous
system.
Pump your arms or make large but controlled circular movements with your
arms to help warm the muscles of your upper body and shake your legs to loosen
up your lower body.
Remember: imagination is fundamental to take your body through as many
combinations and variations as possible. Keep it exciting and use this
opportunity to be as playful as possible, play with your balance and lose a bit
of control. Loosen up not just physically but mentally too!
HOT COALS
Move sprightly on the balls of your feet as if walking on hot coals or act as
though you are walking barefoot on a beach with scalding sand. Challenge your
balance and stability with each step.
Plant your feet as quietly and as softly as you can. Remember there are hot coals
beneath your feet. Sound effects are optional!
JUMP-JUMP
Jump up onto a bench or jump—tuck-jump style, knees to your chest and repeat
about five times but not in quick succession. Reset after each jump and land
softly like a cat.
Jumping will force your body to recruit more fast-twitch muscle fibres and will
get the heart and lungs primed for movement.
DEAD-HANG
Hang from a bar or tree branch for about ten to fifteen seconds with your arms in
line with your shoulders. Keep your lower body relaxed and don’t let your feet
touch the ground.
This hang will expand your spinal column and free up nerve transmissions to
your muscles priming you for movement.
VIRTUAL JUMP ROPE
This is a jump rope or skipping motion without using a rope—that is, a Virtual
Jump Rope.
Maintain your balance and time your jumps based on the ‘virtual’ speed of the
rope. Focus on being light on your feet, by staying on the balls of your feet. It
will switch on your body’s proprioception and shift your heart rate up.
For an extra challenge do as many variations as possible, for example, hopping
on one-leg, skipping backwards or pretend you are taking part in Double Dutch
with friends.
Skipping (jump rope) burns around the same number of calories per minute as
running but has far less impact on your joints and tendons, making it a lowimpact form of cardio activity. It can also improve balance and coordination
according to the Journal of Sports Science Medicine.
SLOW-MO
Remember as a kid moving in slow motion usually as a superhero character? As
an adult, it’s a great way to explore movement and focus on every nuance
available. Pick a movement pattern such as a crawl, run or Virtual Throw and
perform it as slowly and as much exaggerated motion as possible.
VIRTUAL THROW
Perform a throw without an object and do as many throw variations as possible:
single-hand, both hands, overhead, javelin throw, etc.
WHAT ABOUT STRETCHING?
For Animal Moves, we will take our cue from nature. Pandiculation is a natural
alternative to stretching that can improve your flexibility, mobility and vigour at
the same time.
Pandiculation, which involves contracting a set of muscles, slowly lengthening
them, and then contracting again to a rest position, is so powerful that it has even
been called “nature’s reset button.”
You may not recognize the name—pandiculation—but you will instantly know
when your household pets do this. In fact, cats or dogs can pandiculate as often
as 40-50 times a day. They appear to be stretching out their tummies, but what
they are doing is contracting and then lengthening their neck and back muscles.
It is enormously relaxing for these animals, and comes with one added benefit: it
prepares them for movement afterwards. In fact, you may be surprised when
your cat pandiculates and then suddenly starts prancing around the room.
However, many of us will perform a pre-or post-workout static stretch even
though according to research there is substantial evidence that static stretching:
Does not reduce injury rates.
Is proven to be detrimental to athletic performance.
Does not reduce or prevent post-workout muscle soreness.
NATURE’S RESET BUTTON
Take a cue from nature. Make pandiculation, not static stretching part of your
daily routine; mimic a cat—do it first thing in the morning and then repeat often
in your warm-ups to help stay supple, reduce tightness and relieve chronic
muscle pain.
4. COOL-DOWN
The main aim of the cool-down is to promote recovery and return the body to a
pre-activity state. The cool-down state aims to gradually decrease the heart rate,
relax the muscles and bring the body temperature down. Get your heart rate back
to normal with controlled breathing by using mild activity.
Any exercise from the WARM-UP section is an excellent cool-down candidate.
Just perform those movements at an even slower pace than your warm-up,
gradually slowing down the pace and exertion of the activity over several
minutes can seem like a natural progression—as well as fulfilling the need to
include a cool-down at the end of your exercise.
Another option is to walk briskly for a few minutes after your exercise, making
sure that this activity is lower in intensity than the exercises you have just
performed.
Always remember to cool-down after exercising. This gives your muscles a
chance to relax and prevents your blood pressure from dropping too quickly,
which can happen if your blood is allowed to pool in your extremities. Aside
from bringing body temperature and heart rate down, the cool-down helps the
body dispose of waste products and toxins, such as lactic acid, which can build
up during vigorous exercise. Lactic acid is more effectively removed by gentle
exercise than stopping suddenly.
You may see conflicting advice as to whether cooling down prevents postexercise muscle soreness, also known as delayed-onset muscle soreness
(DOMS), which tends to occur after doing unfamiliar exercise or working at a
harder level than usual. However, even if cooling down doesn’t stop DOMS, the
other benefits of cooling down mean that you should always make it a
component of your exercise session.
Exercising initiates the sympathetic nervous system,
the part of the nervous system that is responsible for
your body's "flight or fight" response. This is your
body's response to challenges such as sprinting from
danger or defending yourself against an intruder.
Your pupils dilate, heart rate increases, blood
pressure rises. When you stop exercising, your
sympathetic nervous system switches off, and your
parasympathetic nervous system switches on.
RELAXATION POST-ACTIVITY
Here are a couple of other exercises that you can use to gain more control over
your breathing and aid in bringing relaxation and reducing stress to the body.
Fist Clench/Diaphragmatic Breathing
Standing nice and tall with arms at your sides, feet shoulder-width apart.
Take a deep breath through your nose, mouth and chest.
Engage the diaphragm/lower abdomen into your breathing rather than
just shallow breathing with your upper chest.
Hold your breath and count to 10 with fists clenched.
Completely exhale and forcefully exhale air through your body as if you
were rapidly losing air from a balloon and relax your whole body
simultaneously.
Perform this once or twice at the most.
Full-Body Clench
Standing nice and tall with arms at your sides, feet shoulder-width apart.
Create tension in the entire body (except the head) by squeezing the
muscles in your whole body, from the feet upward, lower legs, thighs,
bottom, stomach, back, chest, shoulders and arms.
Take a deep breath through your nose, mouth and chest.
Engage the diaphragm/lower abdomen into your breathing rather than
just shallow breathing with your upper chest.
Hold your breath and count to 10 with the whole-body clenched.
Slowly release your breath and let your body go completely limp.
Repeat 3 to 5 times.
The parasympathetic nervous system activates when
you are at rest. Your blood pressure decreases, your
blood vessels relax, blood flow increases to your gut,
and your heart rate slows.
The blood that only moments ago was being
powerfully pumped by your sympathetically primed
heart no longer has that requirement and tends to
pool in your extremities which can lead to fainting or
dizziness. This can be avoided by a cool down after
exercising.
5. WEEK ONE
DAY 01 – POSTURE
Day 01 – Posture [15 minutes] —RPE (1-4)
Today we will be focusing on Posture (page 30). As it’s day one I will add some
additional tips to help you flow from one pose to the next. This day is the same
for all levels. Start with controlled and deliberate breathing.
1. Lie down on your back in Lie Down Pose flat on your back, arms on the
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
ground, palms facing upwards. Do 2 minutes of long-slow, deep
breathing, pushing your body down and feeling as much contact with the
ground as possible. Reflect on how you feel. Relax and note any changes
in your body or mind.
Sit-Up with your arms at your sides, palms on the ground, back straight,
legs straight out in front. This is the Sitting Pose. Hold for 1 minute.
Place your hands on the floor, palms facing forward and push up to lift
your hips off the ground and bend the knees slightly bringing the feet
closer to the body. This is Crab Pose. Hold for 1 minute.
While taking hands off the floor, stay balanced. Trying to keep the feet
exactly as they are lean forward and transition into the HunterGatherer Squat. Hold for 1 minute.
Keep the feet exactly as they are, but now bend the body forward from
the waist and drop the arms in front of you with knees a few inches off
the ground. This is the Bear Pose. Hold for 1 minute.
Lean back into the Hunter-Gatherer Squat. Hold for 1 minute. Then
Stand.
Bring your feet back together so they are straight under your hips. Bend
the right knee to raise the right foot off the floor, so the sole is in line
with the opposite knee. This is the Crane Pose. Hold for 30 seconds. It
is okay to wobble. Come out of it as needed, or hold onto the wall or a
sturdy piece of furniture for support. Bring your foot down and switch
legs. Hold for 30 seconds.
Stand. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and lower into the Air Squat
Hold. Hold for 30 seconds.
Lower yourself further into the Hunter Gatherer Squat. Hold for 1
minute.
Walk your hands forward into Cat Pose with hands and feet together.
Hold for 30 seconds.
Back to Hunter Gatherer Squat. Hold for 30 seconds.
Walking your hands back into Crab Pose. Hold for 1 minute.
Drop the hips and lean back into the Sitting Pose. Hold for 1 minute.
Lower the torso and lie down on your back in the Lie-Down Pose. Hold
for 3 minutes (or up to 5 minutes, if you have time), to appreciate the
changes in your body.
At the end of Lie-Down Pose, sit up or stand up and shake out your
body as your cool-down. Make some notes about your progress day and
do so on a daily basis.
DAY 02 - MOVEMENT CIRCUIT
Day 02 – Movement Circuit [15-30 minutes] —RPE (4-6) Don't neglect the
warm-up or cool-down especially relevant today. At least 1-2 minutes minimum
for both and use some of the suggestions I mentioned in the introduction making
sure to incorporate something playful. Here your RPE should be in the range of
4-6.
Determine your level in SELECT YOUR LEVEL (page 18).
Repeat exercises for the allotted time and rest as needed.
Beginners: 15 minutes
Intermediate: 22 minutes
Advanced: 30 minutes
Familiarise yourself with the Movement Circuit tips in the WHAT'S THE
PLAN? Chapter (page 22) before you begin.
DAY 03 – HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVALS
Day 03 – High-Intensity Intervals [18-23 minutes] —RPE (8+) Familiarise
yourself with the HIIT tips in the WHAT'S THE PLAN? section before you
begin. For each exercise:
Beginners: 10 sec work, 30 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Intermediate: 15 sec
work, 20 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Advanced: 20 sec work, 10 sec rest
(repeat 8 times)
Shake the legs and arms out during the 60-second walk recovery.
Aim for an RPE of 8 or above.
DAY 04 – POSTURE
Day 04 – Posture [15 minutes] —RPE (1-4)
Repeat day 1 to ease into your movement practice. Read through the names a
few times and review the images. This is a low-intensity session (RPE 1-4).
IMPORTANT
You have already completed this activity on Day 1, so this is officially our first
recovery day. Especially crucial after yesterday's High-Intensity Interval session
where you might be developing some muscle soreness. The moves are the same
as Day 1, but the experience will differ significantly.
Here are seven additional pointers to make this session even more fruitful and
mindful:
1. Focus on your deep breathing in through the nose, out through the
mouth. Pay attention to the lungs expanding and expelling air.
2. Close your eyes and connect your thoughts and mind with how your
body feels.
3. Embrace the experience of feeling muscle soreness and the stabiliser
muscles working when the body shakes rapidly.
4. Appreciate that every deep breath increases the ability to relax, decreases
stress and feeds the body.
5. Pay attention to how your body feels in all of these poses and positions,
even when lying down push down into the ground and notice the contact
points that you have with it.
6. Contract your muscles and tighten everything as much as possible. For
instance, push your lower back into the ground and sense the abs tighten,
squeeze the glutes (bottom) and feel the thighs tighten. When performing
the sitting pose, push down into the ground with the palms and push the
shoulders back squeezing the shoulder blades.
7. Maintain controlled breathing and stay relaxed in the face.
8. All activity in this sequence begins and ends with a posture.
TIP: Stabiliser muscles contract to maintain posture and to support the joints,
so very important to work these often neglected muscles.
By now you may be experiencing muscle soreness or
DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) which is a
normal process that can occur after strenuous activity
which stresses the body beyond what it is accustomed
to.
This occurs in beginners as well as those who are
veterans to physical exercise. The best way to get over
DOMS is to keep mobilised with gentle movement so
you hurt less and recover more speedily.
DAY 05 – STRENGTH
Day 05 – Strength [approximately 10-30 minutes] —RPE (8) This is our first
strength and power day. For each exercise:
Beginners: Complete 1 round
Intermediate: Complete 2 rounds
Advanced: Complete 3 rounds
Pay attention to the rest periods (between 30 seconds to 1 minute) as you want to
recover before the next exercise or round.
TIP: Do not let a lack of equipment stop you doing the carries, for example
—if I was on vacation—I would use my carry-on luggage suitcase for the
Waiter's Walk and Farmer's Walk. Use whatever you have to be able to
perform the task, keep movements slow, purposeful and mindful. The press
movements are tough. Avoid using the knees—if these are too difficult just
lower yourself as much as possible. Your best effort counts, and there is no
such thing as failure.
DAY 06 – MOVEMENT CIRCUIT
Day 06 – Movement Circuit [15-30 minutes] —RPE (4-6) Familiarise yourself
again with the Movement Circuit tips in the WHAT'S THE PLAN? section
before you begin.
Repeat for the allotted time, rest as required.
Beginners: 15 minutes
Intermediate: 22 minutes
Advanced: 30 minutes
Through natural selection, we thrived on a broad
repertoire of activity and intensity.
We are designed to be movement generalists, multiskilled and multi-faceted, rather than specialists in
one or two areas. Our training should reflect this.
DAY 07 – HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVALS
Day 07– High-Intensity Intervals [18-23 minutes] —RPE (8+)
Beginners: 10 sec work, 30 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Intermediate: 15 sec
work, 20 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Advanced: 20 sec work, 10 sec rest
(repeat 8 times)
Then 1 x 60 sec walk, before moving on to the next exercise.
Did You Know? With HIIT workouts you get an after-burn effect where your
body can burn calories up to 72 hours after the activity this is known as EPOC
(Excessive Post Oxygen Consumption).
Congratulations, you’ve made it through the first
week. See you tomorrow to begin Week 2.
6. WEEK TWO
DAY 08 – BREATHING POSTURE
Day 8 – Breathing Posture [approximately 18 minutes] —RPE (1-4)
Congratulations. You are doing great and have been doing so well; today it is
time to focus on breath work and then to focus on another posture sequence. Be
mindful.
Try this simple breathing exercise to reduce blood pressure and to manage stress.
1. Start with the Lie-Down Pose or Sitting Pose
2. Clear the mind and focusing only on your breathing. Feel the air enter
your lungs and exhale out of the lungs.
3. Close your mouth and take a deep breath in through the nose for four
seconds.
4. Hold that breath for eight seconds.
5. Breath out through the mouth, slowly and controlled, for eight seconds.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 four times.
7. Finish this sequence by breathing normally, but continue to focus on
breathing technique during the posture sequence.
This Posture sequence is similar to Days 1 and 4, with a few more postures
thrown in. You should now be getting confident with the names of the poses and
how to do them, and pacing yourself for the next 15 minutes. You deserve a
well-earned breather after last week's efforts!
USE YOUR MIND AND STAY LEAN
Mindfulness might sound like it belongs in the same category as new-age health
remedies, but it has been studied and shown to reduce stress, reduce blood
pressure and strengthen the immune system – but research suggests it could also
lead to a leaner body too. A study published in the American Journal of Health
Behaviour indicated that those with higher levels of mindfulness were
significantly less likely to have high blood sugar levels and less prone to
overweight and obesity.
The researchers concluded that better mindfulness makes people more likely to
exercise and stick to fitness programmes once they have started them, and less
likely to crave for unhealthy snacks too. So why is that? Being more mindful
gives you a greater sense of control over your life, becoming a catalyst to enable
you to change what needs to change.
BE MINDFUL
You do not need to do yoga or Tai Chi to be mindful, and there is nothing
complicated about achieving it. All mindfulness means is being focused on the
present and accepting the feelings and thoughts you have at that moment. This
could be accomplished during a few minutes of deep thought once or twice a
week or making even better use of your time during the breathing, posture and
mobility circuit days and you will improve your posture and mobility at the same
time.
1. Pay attention to your breathing.
2. Focus on what you are doing.
3. Pay attention to how you are moving.
DAY 09 – FUN DAY
Day 09 – Fun Day [take your time!] —RPE (1-9)
Today is reserved for fun and to get other’s involved. Here are a few suggestions
and this is not an optional day! Make it happen.
Play Primal Play Tag (see below) or the version of tag you played as a
child.
Dance to a song you loved as a teenager, on repeat.
Play a child’s game you played as a youngster with the kids.
Primal Play Tag:
1. Tag is a universal game that is played by children all over the world.
In some places, it is known as "catch" or "it". In this version of tag,
both of you are ‘it'.
2. This version is based on two people, the idea here is to stay in
relatively close proximity to each other.
3. Extend the arms and use the hands to tag each other between the hip
and the knees only.
4. Score points for each contact, the first to ten is usually a good match.
5. Maintain eye contact, be safe and considerate.
6. WARNING: This game can generate uncontrollable smiles and
laughter.
DAY 10 – MOVEMENT CIRCUIT
Day 10 – Movement Circuit [15-30 minutes] —RPE (4-6)
Repeat for the allotted time, rest as required. Transition as smoothly and as
quietly as possible and focus on your purposeful breathing.
Aim for slow, graceful movement. Don’t be afraid of mixing things up, for
example change your foot position on the Air Squat each time. Vary the height
of the Duck Walks and interact with the environment around you.
Beginners: 15 minutes
Intermediate: 22 minutes
Advanced: 30 minutes
Focus on training movements rather than muscles, to
improve full-body coordination and build real-world
strength.
DAY 11 – HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVALS
Day 11 – High-Intensity Intervals [18-23 minutes] —RPE (8+) For each
exercise:
Beginners: 10 sec work, 30 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Intermediate: 15 sec
work, 20 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Advanced: 20 sec work, 10 sec rest
(repeat 8 times)
Then 1 x 60 sec walk, as active recovery, before moving on to the next exercise.
DAY 12 – MOBILITY CIRCUIT
Day 12 – Mobility Circuit [25 minutes]—RPE (1-4)
This is a focus on the ability to move freely and easily. Don't rush. Aim for deadslow flow of movement at low intensity. Think about the body parts that are
engaged, the contact points with the ground and also the transition from one
movement pattern to the next.
A few new moves introduced here, so take things nice and slow! Stay relaxed
with controlled breathing.
DAY 13 – STRENGTH
Day 13 – Strength [approximately 10-30 minutes] —RPE (8) This is our
second strength and power day. For each exercise:
Beginners: Complete 1 round
Intermediate: Complete 2 rounds
Advanced: Complete 3 rounds
Pay attention to the rest periods (between 30 seconds to 1 minute) as you want to
recover before the next exercise or round.
Optimal time for strength training? Medicine and Science in Sports And
Exercise found that people are stronger at night (18:00-20:00)
Research tells us the profound impact that the natural
environment has on mental health and physical wellbeing.
A study at the University of Queensland, Australia,
found that those who exercised outdoors on a regular
basis had higher levels of serotonin, a hormone that
regulates mood, than those who trained mainly
indoors. They also had higher levels of endorphins,
the post-exercise rush that occurs after exercise.
DAY 14 – POSTURE
Day 14 – Posture [15 minutes] —RPE (1-4)
Today you will be repeating the postures from Day 8 without the breathing
exercise beforehand. Try to breathe very deeply and be conscious of every part
of you. Muscles, joints, the contact with the ground and your environment. There
should be a sense of relaxation at the end of the sequence of poses even though
some of the series may prove challenging.
Posture is a term used to describe a position of the body or the arrangements of
body parts relative to one another. Ideal postures are those assumed to perform
an activity in the most efficient manner utilising the least amount of energy.
Ever considered why standing does not take too much effort even though you are
standing against gravity? For perfectly erect standing, however, very little
muscle activity is needed. Joints are balanced on one another in such a way as to
minimise the work necessary to hold one upright against gravity. Posture in
these terms is thought of as static, even though there is always movement
however slight.
Some of these poses require far more effort from the stabiliser/postural muscles,
and so these postures are more dynamic in nature. For example, when doing the
Crane Pose and standing on one leg, your muscles work far more than standing
on two feet to maintain stability.
Note down the work you did and how you feel regarding the moves and
challenges you might have had. What was easy? What was challenging? Also
during the session today ponder the differences between static and dynamic
postures.
HALFWAY THROUGH
Congratulations. You have made it halfway through the programme. Well done!
You’ve repeated some of the movement patterns from week one but also added
some more challenging moves with a day of FUN movement and a mobility
circuit. Journal your experience and reflect on the movement patterns you liked
best and begin forming a list of your favourite moves.
Keep up the good work clearing those hurdles and prepare yourself for Week 3.
In 2014, researchers at Ohio University published a
study in the Journal of Neurophysiology, in which
they showed that simply visualising a strenuous
workout could help to tone muscles and make them
stronger.
7. WEEK THREE
DAY 15 – HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVALS
Day 15 – High-Intensity Intervals [18-23 minutes] —RPE (8+) For each
exercise:
Beginners: 10 sec work, 30 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Intermediate: 15 sec
work, 20 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Advanced: 20 sec work, 10 sec rest
(repeat 8 times)
Then 1 x 60 sec walk, as active recovery, before moving on to the next exercise.
DAY 16 – MOBILITY CIRCUIT
Day 16 – Mobility Circuit [25 minutes] —RPE (1-4) Mobility is used to work
on natural flexibility while in motion. Make these movements slow, graceful and
controlled. This is another focus on the ability to move freely and comfortably.
Think about the movement and parts of the body that are engaged, the contact
points with the ground and also the transition from one movement pattern to the
next. Take your time and don’t rush.
Another suggestion is to make your breathing pattern match the mobility
activity, for example as you lunge breathe in, as you reach breathe out.
Don’t feel that your training needs to be conducted at
a particular time or place. Integrating physical
activity into your daily routine will reduce the need to
fall back on the lack-of-time excuse.
For example, do a Bear Crawl across the room to pick
up the remote, hold a Hunter-Gatherer Squat during
television commercial breaks or Bunny Hop while
waiting for the kettle to boil.
DAY 17 – MOVEMENT CIRCUIT
Day 17 – Movement Circuit [15-30 minutes] —RPE (4-6) Repeat for the
allotted time, rest as required. Transition as smoothly and as gracefully as
possible and focus on your purposeful breathing.
Change pace and intensity within the same movement. When resting—rest in an
animal pose position of your choice with controlled breathing.
Beginners: 15 minutes
Intermediate: 22 minutes
Advanced: 30 minutes
Benefits: Research links exercise to mitochondrial changes. A 2011 study
found that exercise induces changes in mitochondrial enzyme content and
activity, which can increased your cellular energy production, decrease
symptoms of fatigue and decrease your risk of chronic disease.
DAY 18 – FUN DAY
Day 18 – Fun Day [take your time!] —RPE (1-9)
Today is reserved for fun and to get other’s involved. Maybe get the kids or your
partner involved? Once again this is not optional. Have some fun, make it
happen. Challenge yourself to do something fun.
Walk on some railings, or a low wall. Challenge your balance.
Get a group of friends together and play Dodgeball or similar.
Go rollerblading or another fun physical task you haven’t tried before!
Use your non-dominant hand as often as possible for non-critical tasks.
Challenge Your Balance!
Research points to one fact: willpower for many is a
burning candle that doesn’t last long, but habits are
automatic, long term and easily followed.
Break bad habits and replace with good ones – start
simple, put your training shoes and workout gear by
your bed every night if you want to do your workout
first thing in the morning.
DAY 19 – STRENGTH
Day 19 – Strength [approximately 20-30 minutes] —RPE (8) For each
exercise:
Beginners: Complete 1 round
Intermediate: Complete 2 rounds
Advanced: Complete 3 rounds
Pay attention to the rest periods (between 30 seconds to 1 minute) as you want to
recover before the next exercise or round. There are more reps compared to the
previous strength session. Be strong, be useful!
Remember the weights are guidelines so experiment to find a suitable resistance.
DAY 20 – POSTURE
Day 20 – Posture [17 minutes] —RPE (1-5)
Today you will be repeating the postures from Day 8 but spending a bit more
time doing so.
DAY 21 – HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVALS
Day 21 – High-Intensity Intervals [18-23 minutes] —RPE (8+) For each
exercise:
Beginners: 10 sec work, 30 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Intermediate: 15 sec
work, 20 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Advanced: 20 sec work, 10 sec rest
(repeat 8 times)
Then 1 x 45 sec walk, as active recovery, before moving on to the next exercise.
HIIT boosts testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) levels, which are
responsible for lean muscle gain, fat loss and cell repair. HIIT stimulates the
production of HGH by up to 450 per cent during the 24 hours after your
workout, stoking the fat burning furnace and slowing down the ageing process.
21 DAYS TO A NEW YOU?
Once you have settled into a bad habit—like crashing on your couch in front of
the TV after dinner—it can be tough to reverse that practice. Conversely, it is
often just as hard to establish a new habit—such as starting a new exercise
programme. However, it does not have to be that way.
In fact, it might be possible to change your life in 21 days. Why 21 days? Back
in the 1950’s, a medical researcher, Dr Maxwell Maltz found that it took a
minimum of 21 days for an old mental image to fade away, only to be replaced
by a new one. For a new habit to take hold, then, your brain needs time to adjust
to the new reality.
Over time, the concept of “21 days” took hold in the popular imagination, fueled
by self-help gurus who used the number to excite the imaginations of their
followers. 21 days is just long enough to seem believable, but also short enough
to be actionable. In 21 days, the thinking goes, you can change your life.
WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?
However, 21 days might be a bit too optimistic. Subsequent studies have shown
that it might take slightly longer than 21 days for a new habit to take hold. For
example, one study published by London researchers in the European Journal of
Social Psychology suggests that it takes an average of 66 days for a new habit to
form.
The researchers studied 96 people over a 12-week period, carefully recording
how well they were able to follow through on their vows to change their
behaviour. The shortest time it took to embrace a new habit was 18 days, while
the longest was 254 days.
The silver lining in the study was that the researchers found that it was possible
to have a “cheat day” now and then. In other words, if you are trying to start a
new exercise habit and miss a day here and there, it will not stop you from
getting fitter—you can still meet your goal in the end. In short, it is possible to
permit yourself not to be perfect.
THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS
To summarise the underlying message seems to be: you can change your life, but
there are rarely any shortcuts. You need to keep your big picture goals in mind
and realise that, while things might be troublesome at the outset, by the end of
the first 21-day period, you should start to see some changes. Good habits take a
while to form. The good news is that these practices can most certainly be set if
you stick to it.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
It takes a minimum of 21 days to form a new habit, so now it is up to you to
keep up the excellent work. Review your notes and what you have learned and
keep up the fabulous work for the final week of the programme.
8. WEEK FOUR
As we begin week 4, this will be an opportunity to focus on the progress you
have made so far and seeing this through until the end of this week.
DAY 22 – BREATHING EXERCISE
Day 22 – High-Intensity Intervals [6-9 minutes] - RPE (1) Try this simple
breathing exercise to reduce blood pressure and to manage stress.
1. Start with the Lie-Down Pose or Sitting Pose
2. Clear the mind and focusing only on your breathing. Feel the air enter
your lungs and exhale out of the lungs.
3. Close your mouth and take a deep breath in through the nose for four
seconds.
4. Hold that breath for eight seconds.
5. Breath out through the mouth, slowly and controlled, for eight seconds.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 four times.
7. Stand and breathe normally for 1 minute.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 twice.
DAY 23 – MOVEMENT CIRCUIT
Day 23 – Movement Circuit [15-30 minutes]—RPE (4-6) Repeat for the
allotted time, rest as required. Transition as smoothly and as gracefully as
possible and focus on your purposeful breathing.
Take it slow, add some bursts of speed, be graceful and focus on the mind-body
connection.
Beginners: 15 minutes
Intermediate: 22 minutes
Advanced: 30 minutes
DAY 24 – POSTURE
Day 24 – Posture [20 minutes] —RPE (1-4) Today you will be repeating the
postures from Day 20 but spending a few more minutes doing so—concentrate
here on maintaining stability. At this stage, it should feel challenging with all
movements due to the focused tension.
DAY 25 – HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVALS
Day 25 – High-Intensity Intervals [18-23 minutes] —RPE (8+)
Beginners: 10 sec work, 30 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Intermediate: 15 sec
work, 20 sec rest (repeat 8 times) Advanced: 20 sec work, 10 sec rest
(repeat 8 times)
Then 1 x 30-second walk, as active recovery, before moving on.
Benefits: A study from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute found that HIIT
stimulates the mitochondria in our cells that increase fat burning but only if
you perform an exercise for all out-bursts for 30 seconds or less, with short
recovery periods in between those bursts. Sessions should last no longer than
30 minutes.
Children imagine and use visualisation extensively
when playing, try to use this technique to play
through a workout. You will burn more calories and
expend more effort without realising it.
DAY 26 – MOBILITY CIRCUIT
Day 26 – Mobility Circuit [25 minutes] —RPE (1-4) Get mobile, improve
flexibility and movement capability—recuperate and regenerate. Mobility is used
to work on natural flexibility while in motion.
Make these movements slow, graceful and controlled.
DAY 27 – STRENGTH
Day 27 – Strength [approximately 10-30 minutes] —RPE (8) For each
exercise:
Beginners: Complete 1 round
Intermediate: Complete 2 rounds Advanced: Complete 3 rounds
Pay attention to the rest periods (between 30 seconds to 1 minute) as you want to
recover before the next exercise or round.
Research: One hour a week of resistance training lowers your risk of obesity,
high blood pressure and elevated blood glucose levels, according to research
from the Radboud University in Holland. These benefits were independent of
the amount of cardio training done.
DAY 28 – FUN DAY
Day 28 – Fun Day [take your time!] —RPE (1-9) Have some fun, make it
happen.
Climb a Tree, or help someone climb one.
Try a cartwheel—if you cannot do one just roll around.
Music: 100 studies have been done that document the link between workout
music and performance. What researchers have found is that there is an actual
science to creating the optimal playlist: the songs that work the best are uptempo ones that produce a rhythmic response within the body, thereby
encouraging you to move. Playing music helps to distract you from fatigue
and pain, and also contributes to elevating your mood.
However, it does not just work as a distraction, a 2012 review of the research,
concludes that it also improves efficiency too, the study showed that cyclists
who listened to music used 7% less oxygen to do the same work as those who
cycled without music.
THE END? NO JUST THE BEGINNING
Part of the joy and inspiration that comes from participating in this programme is
being aware that you have pushed yourself perhaps beyond what you once
thought impossible. However, what happens after you have met your goals and
completed the challenge?
The most important thing is to keep the momentum alive. It is easy to take a
short break after completing this book, but often, that short rest turns into an
indefinite break. From there, it might be difficult—if not impossible—to regain
your momentum.
Take a week off. An opportunity to take a break but make sure to start
again in one week.
Do it again – If you have just completed the programme at
beginner/intermediate level try the level above for the next 28 days.
Schedule workouts in advance – By writing down the timing of your
future sessions on paper or your smartphone calendar, you will be able to
keep yourself accountable.
Don’t worry about taking a day off – It is far too easy to fall into the
trap of thinking that missing a workout will put you permanently off
schedule. It is only natural that some days you will wake up more
fatigued than others, or that personal commitment might encroach on
your daily workout schedule. So don’t worry about missing a day here
and there—keep the big picture in mind, moving more is your goal.
Give your body a chance to recover – One reason why fitness
programmes get derailed is due to injury. One primary cause of injury is
not giving your body enough of a chance to repair between strenuous
workouts. If you are only sleeping a few hours each night and not getting
the right nutrients for your body, it is going to be a lot harder than you
might think to keep the momentum going.
Find a workout partner or group – By far, the most effective method
is to find a workout partner who wants to work out when you do. Better
yet, find a group of people who all share similar fitness goals so you can
keep yourselves accountable.
PUSH FORWARD
By focusing on new ways to hold yourself accountable and by giving yourself
permission to miss a workout every now and then, you will be able to push
forward with your new fitness routine and reach your health and wellness goals.
9. THE MOVES
AIR SQUAT
1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, and feet slightly turned
out.
2. Bend your knees and sit back as if you were going to sit on a chair, lift
your arms up and out to assist with balance.
3. Aim to keep the feet flat throughout the movement.
4. Reverse the movement on the same path as you descend to return to the
start position.
Tip: Keep your back in a neutral position at the lowest point of the squat by
keeping the shoulders back, weight in the heels and chest high.
BEAR CRAWL
1.
2.
3.
4.
Begin in the Bear Pose position.
Start crawling forward on your hands and the balls of the feet.
Alternate each side and keep contact with the ground as brief as possible.
Avoid using the knees to ensure it is more demanding on the core.
Tip: Your back should always be in a straight line from shoulders to your
hips, and should remain neutral throughout the exercise. This will develop
core strength, improve shoulder mobility and increase hip stability.
BEAR KICK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Start in the Bear Pose position.
Kick one heel up then the other, as if running on the spot.
Stay low and with a tight midsection.
Land softly—nice and light with each step.
Elevate your hands on a step or bench to increase the difficulty.
BEAR POSE TO CRAB KICK
1. Start in the Bear Pose position.
2. Raise the hips.
3. Lift the right foot and pass it through under the body and past the left leg
to the left-hand side.
4. Keep the right hand down for support and raise left hand for balance as
you extend the right leg out with the bottom almost touching the ground.
5. Reverse the movement to return back to raised hips position.
6. Lift the left foot under the body and past the right leg to the right-hand
side.
7. Keep the left hand down for support and lift the right hand slightly for
balance.
8. Repeat.
BEAR PRESS
1. Start in the Bear Pose position.
2. Keep the elbows in and close to the body.
3. Supporting your body weight with the arms slowly lower yourself to the
ground with control.
4. Keep the head and back in neutral position throughout the movement.
5. Press yourself back to the start position.
Tip: If you find the Bear Press difficult then just go as low as you can go and
press back up. Even if this is a cm or two that is fine. As you get stronger you
will be able to get lower.
BEAR REACH
1. Start in the Bear Pose position.
2. Raise the hips slightly and crawl forward supported on your hands and
feet.
3. Reach back with the right hand and bring the knee forward to touch the
left foot.
4. Keep your back as flat as possible.
5. Alternate hands and switch to the other side.
Tip: Keep the Bear Reach movements slow and controlled, aim to maximise
the range of motion.
BEAR REACH (UNDER TO HEEL)
1. Start in the Bear Pose position.
2. Arch the back slightly to get more height.
3. Lift right arm and pass it back through to the left heel, keep midsection
engaged.
4. Reverse the movement to return back to arched Bear Pose.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3 but with the left arm passing back through to the right
heel.
6. Reverse the movement to return to arched Bear Pose.
Tip: It might be tempting to want to do this quickly, but aim to keep
movements slow and controlled and synchronise your breathing.
BUNNY HOP
1. Crouch down into a low squat with your feet about shoulder-width apart
and hands clasped behind your head.
2. Raise your heels off the ground.
3. Hop forward on the balls of both feet for very short distances and at a
low height.
4. Land softly on the balls of your feet, make as little sound as possible.
CAMEL CARRY
1. Start in the Bear Pose position with the addition of a loaded backpack
strapped to the back.
2. Perform a slow Bear Crawl .
3. Ensure the backpack is adequately secured and is relatively stable when
moving.
CRAB DIP
1. Start in the Crab Pose position.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your hips toward the floor slowly.
3. Don't shrug your shoulders; keep them down during the whole
movement.
4. Push back up to start position.
5. For a deeper movement, you can crab dip with your hands on an
elevated surface, such as a bench or sofa.
CRAB KICK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Start in the Crab Pose position.
Bend your elbows and lower your hips slightly.
Keep the midsection tight as you kick the right leg in front of you.
Swap the right leg out dynamically with the left leg.
Repeat for the stated number of reps.
CRAB REACH
1. Start in the Crab Pose position.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your hips toward the floor slowly.
3. At the same time lift the left hand up to touch the foot of the extended
right leg.
4. Return to the start position and repeat with the right hand and left leg.
5. Maintain proper form as you complete the movement.
CRAB REACH (OVER TO FOOT)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Start in the Crab Pose position.
Lift left arm and pass it through the hips over to the right foot.
Reverse the movement to return back to Crab Pose.
Repeat steps 2, 3 but with the right arm passing over and through to the
left foot.
5. Repeat.
CRAB WALK
1. Start in the Crab Pose position.
2. Start walking using your hands and feet to propel you forward.
3. The movement should be contralateral, that is, moving the opposite arm
and leg.
4. For example, start moving the right leg, the left hand, left leg then the
right hand to move forward.
Tip: If you have limited space for crawling just take one “step” forward and
then one “step” back to the start position, then you can repeat this movement,
alternating sides on each step. You can use this technique in a confined space
for other crawls too such as the Bear Crawl.
Tip: Raise your hips upwards but keep the glutes relatively close to the
ground.
CROCODILE WALK
1. Start in the Crocodile Pose position.
2. Get as low as possible, with only your palms and toes touching the
ground.
3. Keep your midsection tight as you shuffle one hand and foot forward at a
time, staying as low as possible.
4. Try not to bounce when moving.
NOTE: This is a tough move and requires significant upper body and core
strength - if you find this problematic just go as low as possible and shuffle
forward.
DRAGONFLY SKIM
1. Start at the top of a press-up/push-up position with hands and feet
together.
2. Keeping the midsection tight, move the right hand and right foot away
from the midline of the body and place on the ground at the same time.
3. Then follow with the left hand and left foot so your feet are touching
each other again.
4. Reverse the movement pattern by starting with the left hand and left foot
and following with the right hand and right foot moving back towards
the left.
DUCK WALK
1. Start in a low-crouched position on the knees.
2. Keep your arms resting at your sides with an upright torso.
3. Walk forward with knees off the ground and lean slightly forward to stay
balanced.
For an extra challenge minimise bouncing up and down as you Duck Walk.
FARMER’S WALK
1. Pick up a kettlebell, loaded backpack or other heavy object as if carrying
a suitcase and walk for the specified number of steps.
2. Repeat with the other arm.
FLEA JUMP
1. Start in a Bear Pose position.
2. Dip the arms and hips just a few centimetres.
3. Power up explosively and lift off from the ground with hands and feet
simultaneously.
4. Drop back to your hands and feet, as soft as possible, with control.
GET-UP / STAND-UP
1.
2.
3.
4.
Stand tall with your arms hanging at your sides.
Sit down on the ground. You can use one or both hands for stability.
As soon as you sit down entirely, get straight back up as fast as you can.
If you favour one side over the other (either legs or hands), then make
sure you alternate sides to work both left and right sides equally.
5. Go fast as possible, but remember form and safety first, speed second.
GORILLA WALK
1. Start in a Bear Pose position.
2. Instead of using your palms for support use a clenched fist and support
yourself on your knuckles instead.
3. Crawl forward on your fists and feet.
4. You may find using a mat or grass surface will soften the impact on the
knuckles.
KANGAROO JUMP
1.
2.
3.
4.
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at the side.
Swing your arms behind you to generate momentum.
Engage your core and long jump as far as you can.
Land softly on your feet with control and bend your ankles, knees and
hips to decelerate the body and cushion the impact.
TIP: Jumping could be perceived as a rebellious act, a revolt against gravity
briefly for a moment or two. Try to land as softly as possible to protect your
joints - but mostly because it is fun to pretend to be a ninja! Be childlike, not
childish.
KOALA CARRY
1. Perform a Bear Crawl with the addition of a backpack loaded with
books or heavy objects
2. If possible ensure the backpack is adequately secured and close to your
chest and back.
KOMODO DRAGON WALK
1. Start in the Bear Pose.
2. Crawl and draw your right knee close to touching the right elbow as you
lower yourself close to the ground.
3. As you move forward push yourself up then twist and change sides by
drawing your left knee to your left elbow as you lower yourself to the
ground.
4. Get as close to the ground as possible and cover as much distance as
possible with each step.
LUNGE AND REACH
1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms hanging at
your sides.
2. Take a large step forward and drop your hips into the lunge, lean
forward on your left leg as far as you can.
3. With your torso leaning forward, reach as far as you can, and if possible
touch the ground with your right hand.
4. Reverse the movement and move back to the start position with control.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 but using the right leg and left hand instead.
Tip: It might be tempting to want to do this quickly, but aim to keep
movements slow and controlled through to full range of motion and reverse
the movement with the same degree of control.
MONKEY WALK
1. Start in a crouched position balanced on your hands and the balls of your
feet.
2. Moving from left to right, "walk" your left and right hand to the lefthand side.
3. Support your lower body so your arms take the full weight
4. Follow through with your left then right foot.
Tip: Keep movement slow and controlled, light contact with the ground.
Coordination may prove challenging to begin with but stick with it!
RABBIT WALK
1. Start in a crouched position.
2. Hop forward onto your arms so your arms take the full weight and your
feet are off the floor—tuck your knees into your chest.
3. Drop back to your feet with control.
SCORPION PRESS
1. Start at the top of a press-up/push-up position.
2. As you lower to the ground, with control twist the hips to one side and
tap the same side with your foot.
3. Reverse the movement and return to the start position. That's one rep.
4. Then lower to the ground twisting hips to the other side.
5. If you find the Scorpion Press too difficult then just go as low as you
can go and press back up. Even if this is a cm or two that is fine. You
will gain strength on every repetition.
SPRINT-IN-PLACE
1. Stand tall, with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Drive right knee to chest as left arm swings forward.
3. As your right leg lowers, drive forward with your left knee and right
arm.
4. Repeat, keep core engaged, moving opposite arms and legs.
Research: Sprinting is five times more effective for burning fat than moderate
intensity continuous training (such as jogging) according to research by
McMaster University in Canada.
STAND TO
HUNTER-GATHERER SQUAT
1. Start from a standing position and sink into a deep squat.
2. Return to starting position.
3. Maintaining good posture throughout.
TODDLER CLIMB
1. Start in Bear Pose in front of a platform that can fully support your
weight.
2. Keep your core tight and use slow and controlled movement to place
your right hand on the platform. Once the right hand is in place, place
the left hand on the platform.
3. Return back to the Bear Pose position by slowly lowering your hands
back to the floor one at a time.
4. Then continue by placing the left hand on the platform, then the right
before returning back to the Bear Pose.
5. Repeat
WAITER’S WALK
1. Pick up a kettlebell, loaded backpack or other heavy object and press it
up over your head with one hand.
2. Keep the arm fully extended and your torso straight and not leaning too
far to one side, walk for the specified number of steps.
3. Repeat with the other arm.
Exercise is a proxy for the lack of physical activity we
undertake in the modern era. So make the most of
your movement minutes.
10. THE POSTURES
Isometric postures can increase the stability of the joints such as the ankle, knee,
shoulder, and wrist by strengthening tendons, ligaments and the stabiliser
muscles around the joints this helps to prevent injuries.
Tips during isometric/posture holds:
Don’t hold your breath; instead breathe deeply and slowly during these
postures.
If you cannot hold the pose for the duration just shake it out and go back
into the position as quickly as possible until the time has ended.
These postures require tension in the muscles rather than the
muscles being relaxed. For example, when supporting your body with
hands and feet, push into the ground but stay relaxed in the face. In other
words, aim for relaxation even with tension in the body.
It is okay to move feet or hands slightly to try to get comfortable but try
to remain as stable as possible.
Some of the postures will challenge your balance when this occurs stay
as focused as you can to regain composure.
REFERENCE THESE PAGES FOR:
Day 1
Day 4
Day 8
Day 14
Day 20
Day 24
AIR SQUAT HOLD
1.
2.
3.
4.
Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart and lower into a squat position
Stop at the midway point as if sitting on a chair and hold.
Keep torso as upright as possible in a steady and strong position.
Use arms as a counterbalance out in front with your weight in your
heels.
BEAR POSE
1. Lie down in a push-up position. Keep your palms on the floor shoulder
width apart.
2. Walk your knees forward until the knees are under the hips and your feet
flexed with the bottom of your toes on the floor.
3. Take a deep breath and rise up, lifting the knees slightly off the ground.
4. Only your palms and toes touch the floor and tighten the midsection.
5. Look at the ground to keep your head in neutral position and breathe
normally.
BUNNY POSE
1. Stand tall and lower into a squat position with feet and knees together.
2. Place hands behind the head, fingers interlocked.
3. Keep torso as upright as possible without with a steady and strong
position.
4. Stay balanced on the balls of your feet.
CAT POSE
1. Start in Bear Pose position
2. Place hands one on top of another, overlapping just below the centre of
the chest.
3. Bring feet and knees together, with knees directly under the hips.
4. Lift the knees slightly off the ground so only hands and balls of feet in
contact with the ground.
5. Keep a neutral back position.
CRAB POSE
1. Sit on the floor with your feet hip-distance apart in front of you
2. Set your arms behind your back with fingers facing forwards shoulder
width apart.
3. Lift hips off the floor slightly and tighten your abs.
CRANE POSE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Stand tall with good posture.
Stand on one leg
Raise the other leg’s knee to hip height.
Keep the upper body as relaxed as possible.
Tighten the midsection.
CROCODILE POSE
1. Start at the top of a push-up position and lower to the ground.
2. Find the lowest point you can while supporting your body only on your
hands and feet.
3. Bring feet and knees together, with arms tucked close to the body.
4. Tighten the mid section and breathe naturally.
5. Keep the neck in line with the spine.
Tip: This is a challenging posture to hold, make it more accessible by pushing
your body up further away from the ground, moving the feet apart and having
the palms further away from the body.
DRAGONFLY POSE
1.
2.
3.
4.
Start at the top of a push-up position.
Set your hands at a distance that is slightly shoulder width apart.
Bring feet into line with the hands.
Think of your body in one straight line from the top of your head
through to your heels.
5. Tighten the midsection and squeeze the glutes.
HUNTER-GATHERER SQUAT HOLD
1.
2.
3.
4.
Start from a standing position.
Sink into a deep squat.
Keep your heels flat.
Aim to have a relaxed posture in this position.
LIE-DOWN POSE
1. Lie down on your back.
2. Keep arms on the ground with palms facing upwards.
3. Keep as much of your body in contact with the floor/mat as possible.
SITTING POSE
1.
2.
3.
4.
Start in Lie-Down Pose position
Sit-up with your arms at your sides, palms on the ground.
Keep back straight with legs straight out in front.
Keep knees and feet together.
You may not be able to outrun a poor diet but you
can’t eat your way out of a sedentary lifestyle either.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment
and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found
the safest way to health.”
-Hippocrates
You may not be able to outrun a poor diet, but you cannot eat your way out of a
sedentary lifestyle either. Movement was a gateway behaviour for me to seek out
healthful eating and a healthier lifestyle. I recognize today just like Hippocrates
understood long ago that exercise is medicine and of course food is too.
Nutrition plays a significant role in staying healthy, and it is an essential
counterpart to exercise.
Most of us are aware that dieting can be a highly restrictive, and thus, temporary
program to lose weight. In addition, diets do not always work long term.
Research undertaken by The Council on Size and Weight Discrimination has
revealed that 95% of people who diet to lose weight regain that weight in 1-5
years. Ask yourself a few questions about your diet. Is it unsustainable once you
have lost weight? Does sticking to it make you stressed out? Does it help you to
feel positive about yourself? Do you always obsess about food? If you answered
“YES” to any of these questions, you might have a problem with long-term diet
success.
Diet choices are a personal decision, and there is plenty of great literature out
there on nutrition. Unfortunately, much of it is ambiguous, so it can be difficult
to know what direction to take. Do your research.
I follow a Paleo diet template and it has served me well. In my journey to greater
health and well-being, I have come to embrace, and recommend, the following
simple guidelines:
1. Focus on real, whole-foods preferably naturally-grown, organic, wild,
local and in-season. Better for you and the environment.
2. Limit refined sugars and artificial/processed foods.
3. Make water your primary beverage.
4. Make sure each meal contains a quality source of protein, so your
muscles can repair and rebuild post activity.
5. Avoid drinking your calories. Eliminate fizzy drinks, sweetened energy
drinks, and other high-calorie drinks.
6. Eat more cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower) and leafy green vegetables.
7. Reduce alcohol intake.
8. Limit your carbohydrates to unprocessed, complex carbs such as sweet
potatoes.
9. Avoid trans fats and increase fats from monounsaturated sources such as
olive oil, avocados and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids such as
salmon. Our bodies need adequate dietary fat to maintain healthy body
composition and to function correctly, hence why many fats are
“essential”.
10. Eat slowly and mindfully. Eat until you are satisfied, not until you are
full. Your brain registers feelings of satiety after about 20 minutes, so
you are less likely to feel satisfied if you eat too quickly.
I do not count my calories or measure my macronutrients. I do not let my food
choices stress me out, nor do I want to be neurotic about it. Even when we know
what we should or should not be eating, it can be troublesome remaining
compliant, right?
The one thing I do know is that when I have done some exercise, I find myself
wanting to complement it by eating something nourishing when my next
mealtime comes around. The more I sustain a sound diet, the better I feel and the
easier it is for me to continue to integrate movement into my day.
If you are anything like me, you will be more inclined to choose supporting
lifestyle behaviours, such as improving sleep and mitigating chronic stress, if
you embrace both movement and nutrition with equal measure.
Choose supporting lifestyle behavours, such as
improving sleep quality and reducing chronic stress
while embracing nourishing food with a
smorgasboard of satisfying movement.
The facts of today are the harvest of yesterday’s
research.
RESEARCH
SITTING/SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE
Buckley JP, Mellor DD, Morris M, et al, "Standing-based office work shows
encouraging signs of attenuating post-prandial glycaemic excursion", Occup
Environ Med (2014);71:109-111.
Ognibene, Grant T. BA; Torres, Wilson BS; von Eyben, Rie MS; Horst,
Kathleen C. MD, "Impact of a Sit-Stand Workstation on Chronic Low Back
Pain: Results of a Randomized Trial", Journal of Occupational & Environmental
Medicine, doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000615
Garret G, Benden M, Mehta P, Pickens A, Peres C, Zhao H, "Call Center
Productivity Over 6 Months Following a Standing Desk Intervention", IIE
Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors 4:2-3, pages 8387.
Duvivier BMFM, Schaper NC, Bremers MA, van Crombrugge G, Menheere
PPCA, Kars M, et al. (2013) "Minimal Intensity Physical Activity (Standing and
Walking) of Longer Duration Improves Insulin Action and Plasma Lipids More
than Shorter Periods of Moderate to Vigorous Exercise (Cycling) in Sedentary
Subjects When Energy Expenditure Is Comparable." PLoS ONE 8(2): e55542.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0055542
Naama Shoham, Ruth Gottlieb, Orna Sharabani-Yosef, Uri Zaretsky, Dafna
Benayahu, Amit Gefen, "Static mechanical stretching accelerates lipid
production in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by activating the MEK signaling pathway",
American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology, Jan (2012)
Owen, Neville et al. “Too Much Sitting: The Population-Health Science of
Sedentary Behavior.” Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews 38.3 (2010): 105–
113. PMC. Web. 20 Aug. 2017.
Balkau, B et al., "Physical activity and insulin sensitivity: the RISC study.",
Diabetes. 2008 Oct;57(10):2613-8. doi: 10.2337/db07-1605. Epub 2008 Jun 30.
Morris, J. N., and Margaret D. Crawford. “Coronary Heart Disease and Physical
Activity of Work.” British Medical Journal 2.5111 (1958): 1485–1496. Print.
Wilmot, EG et al., "Sedentary time in adults and the association with diabetes,
cardiovascular disease and death: systematic review and meta-analysis",
Diabetologia. (2012), Nov;55(11):2895-905. doi: 10.1007/s00125-012-2677-z.
Epub 2012 Aug 14.
Bey, L et al., "Suppression of skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase activity during
physical inactivity: a molecular reason to maintain daily low-intensity activity.",
J Physiol. (2003) Sep 1;551(Pt 2):673-82. Epub 2003 Jun 18.
Buckley, J.P., Hedge, A.,Yates, T., Copeland, RJ, Loosemore, M.,Hamer, M.,
Bradley, G., Dunstan, D.W. (2015) "The sedentary office: a growing case for
change towards better health and productivity.", British Journal of Sports
Medicine, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-094618
Dunstan David W.; Owen Neville (2012). "New Exercise Prescription: Don't
Just Sit There: Stand Up and Move More, More Often". Arch Intern Med. 172
(6): 500–501. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.209.
VISUALISATION
Brian C. Clark, Niladri K. Mahato, Masato Nakazawa, Timothy D. Law, James
S. Thomas, “The power of the mind: the cortex as a critical determinant of
muscle strength/weakness”, Journal of Neurophysiology (2014)
MUSIC
Exercise Psychology: The Influence of Physical Exercise on Psychological,
1992, Wiley
Karageorghis, Costas I., and David-Lee Priest. “Music in the Exercise Domain:
A Review and Synthesis (Part I).” International Review of Sport and Exercise
Psychology 5.1 (2012)
Schulkin, Jay, and Greta B. Raglan. “The Evolution of Music and Human Social
Capability.” Frontiers in Neuroscience 8 (2014)
“The Psychology of Effective Workout Music “,
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/ (2013)
HABIT-FORMING
Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How
are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European
Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 998-1009.
Maltz, M. (1960) Psycho-cybernetics. NJ: Prentice-Hall.
SPRINTING
Gillen JB, Martin BJ, MacInnis MJ, Skelly LE, Tarnopolsky MA, Gibala MJ
(2016) Twelve Weeks of Sprint Interval Training Improves Indices of
Cardiometabolic Health Similar to Traditional Endurance Training despite a
Five-Fold Lower Exercise Volume and Time Commitment. PLoS ONE
HIIT
Jung ME, Bourne JE, Beauchamp MR, Robinson E, Little JP. High-Intensity
Interval Training as an Efficacious Alternative to Moderate-Intensity Continuous
Training for Adults with Prediabetes. J Diabetes Res. 2015;2015: 1–9.
Jung ME, Bourne JE, Little JP. Where does HIT fit? An examination of the
affective response to high-intensity intervals in comparison to continuous
moderate-and continuous vigorous-intensity exercise in the exercise intensityaffect continuum. PLoS One. 2014
ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY
Katzmarzyk, Peter T., et al. "Sitting time and mortality from all causes,
cardiovascular disease, and cancer." Med Sci Sports Exerc 41.5 (2009): 9981005.
Kokkinos P, Sheriff H, Kheirbek R , ”Physical inactivity and mortality risk.”,
Cardiol Res Pract. 2011 Jan 20; 2011():924945.
Lee DC, Artero EG, Sui X, Blair SN “Mortality trends in the general population:
the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness.”, J Psychopharmacol. 2010 Nov;
24(4 Suppl):27-35.
World Health Organisation, Global action plan for the prevention and control of
NCDs 2013–2020 , http://www.who.int/nmh/events/ncd_action_plan/en/.
DOMS
Petersen, A.M. & Pedersen, B.K. (2005) “The anti-inflammatory effect of
exercise.” J. Appl. Physiol. 98, 1154–1162
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. The power of prevention. Published 2009.
Available
at:
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/2009-power-ofprevention.pdf.
COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Spartano, Nicole L. et al. “Midlife Exercise Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and
Fitness Relate to Brain Volume 2 Decades Later.” Neurology 86.14 (2016):
1313–1319. PMC. Web. 3 Feb. 2018.
Zhu N, Jacobs DR, Jr, Schreiner PJ, et al. “Cardiorespiratory fitness and
cognitive function in middle age: the CARDIA study. “ Neurology
2014;82:1339–1346.
Colcombe S, Kramer AF. “Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older
adults: a meta-analytic study”. Psychol Science 2003;14:125–130
Vidoni ED, Honea RA, Billinger SA, Swerdlow RH, Burns JM,
”Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with atrophy in Alzheimer's and aging
over 2 years.” Neurobiol Aging 2012;33:16241632.
PANDICULATION/STRETCHING
Bertolucci LF, “Pandiculation: nature's way of maintaining the functional
integrity of the myofascial system?”, J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2011 Jul;15(3):26880.
Small, K et al” A systematic review into the efficacy of static stretching as part
of a warm-up for the prevention of exercise-related injury.”, Res Sports Med.
2008;16(3):213-31. doi: 10.1080/15438620802310784.
Hough PA et al., “Effects of dynamic and static stretching on vertical jump
performance and electromyographic activity.”,
J
Strength
Cond
Res.
10.1519/JSC.0b013e31818cc65d.
2009
Mar;23(2):507-12.
doi:
Wilson JM et al.,“Effects of static stretching on energy cost and running
endurance performance.”, J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Sep;24(9):2274-9. doi:
10.1519
Herbert RD, de Noronha M., “Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness
after exercise.”,
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Oct 17; (4):CD004577. Epub 2007 Oct 17.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Arem H, et al. “Leisure time physical activity and mortality: a detailed pooled
analysis of the dose-response relationship,” JAMA Intern Med. (2015).
Gebel K, et al. “Effect of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity on All-Cause
Mortality in Middle-aged and Older Australians”, JAMA Intern Med., (2015).
Kyu HH, et al. “Physical activity and risk of breast cancer, colon cancer,
diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and ischemic stroke events: systematic review
and dose-response meta-analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study”, BMJ,
(2013)
Ekelund, Ulf et al. “Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the
detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised metaanalysis of data from more than 1 million men and women” The Lancet ,
Volume 388 , Issue 10051 , 1302 - 1310
Sources: Blair et al, Physical Fitness and Mortality, JAMA, November 3, 1989
Wolin KY, Yan Y, Colditz GA, Lee IM. Physical activity and colon cancer
prevention: a meta-analysis. British Journal of Cancer 2009
Wu Y, Zhang D, Kang S. Physical activity and risk of breast cancer: a metaanalysis of prospective studies. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 2013
Moore SC, Lee IM, Weiderpass E, et al. Association of leisure-time physical
activity with risk of 26 types of cancer in 1.44 million adults. JAMA Internal
Medicine 2016
Behrens G, Jochem C, Keimling M, et al. The association between physical
activity and gastroesophageal cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.
European Journal of Epidemiology 2014
Behrens G, Leitzmann MF. The association between physical activity and renal
cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Cancer 2013
Keimling M, Behrens G, Schmid D, Jochem C, Leitzmann MF. The association
between physical activity and bladder cancer: systematic review and metaanalysis. British Journal of Cancer 2014
Biological benefits of PA, (2014) Thomas, BJMP
Harris JA, et al. “Physical activity patterns and biomarkers of cardiovascular
disease risk in hunter-gatherers.” Am J Hum Biol. (2017);29:e22919.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.22919
Ford ES, et al., (2005) “Sedentary behavior, physical activity, and the metabolic
syndrome among U.S. adults.”, Obes Res. 2005 Mar;13(3):608-14.
TYPE 2 DIABETES
Colberg SR, et al. (2013) “The Big Blue Test: Effects of 14 Minutes of Physical
Activity on Blood Glucose Levels.” Diabetes Care February 2013 vol. 36 no. 2
e21
Harmer RA, et al. (2015) “Amount and frequency of exercise affect glycaemic
control more than exercise mode or intensity.” Br J Sports Med 2015;49:10121014
STRESS
Hill EE, et al. (2008) “Exercise and circulating cortisol levels: the intensity
threshold effect.” J Endocrinol Invest. 2008 Jul;31(7):587-91.
Perna F, et al. (1995) “Role of psychological stress in cortisol recovery from
exhaustive exercise among elite athletes.” International Journal of Behavioral
Medicine.
Tsatsoulis A, et al. (2006) “The protective role of exercise on stress system
dysregulation and comorbidities.” Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Nov;1083:196-213.
TABATA
Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, Hirai Y, Ogita F, Miyachi M, Yamamoto K,
“Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training
on anaerobic capacity and VO2max.”, Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Oct;
28(10):1327-30.
DIETING
'Statistics on Weight Discrimination: A Waste of Talent, The Council on Size
and Weight Discrimination', 2011.
MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION
Menshikova, E. V., et al, (2006). “Effects of Exercise on Mitochondrial Content
and Function in Aging Human Skeletal Muscle.” The Journals of Gerontology
61(6), 534–540.
Lundby, C. and Jacobs, R. A. (2016), Adaptations of skeletal muscle
mitochondria to exercise training. Exp Physiol, 101: 17–22.
doi:10.1113/EP085319
TRAIN LIKE AN ANIMAL
MOVE LIKE A HUMAN
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Darryl Edwards, is the owner of Fitness Explorer Training and Nutrition and
creator of Primal Play. Darryl is an international speaker, certified personal
trainer, nutritional therapist, and best-selling author of Paleo Fitness : Primal
Training And Nutrition To Get Lean, Strong And Healthy, and Paleo from A to
Z. Paleo Fitness was awarded Best Fitness Book 2015 at the Paleo f(x) awards
show. Paleo from A to Z was awarded Best Health/Wellness book in the Paleo
Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Award 2016.
Darryl’s work has been published in titles such as Men’s Fitness, Women’s
Health, Top Santé, featured on the BBC in the UK with shows such as Doctor In
the House and Horizon’s Eat to Live Forever and in the international full length
feature documentary Love Paleo.
In the early 2000’s Darryl embarked on a Paleo approach to well-being when he
had no choice but to focus on his health. Back then he was diagnosed with irondeficiency anaemia, lived with hypertension, had an elevated cardiovascular
disease risk profile and 26 per cent body fat, most of it around the middle.
He felt weak and lethargic, and suffered from insomnia. He endured chronic low
back pain and would often encounter excruciating knee pain when taking part in
most activities. He even began to wear knee supports to walk short distances and
to walk up stairs.
It didn’t take long after focussing on a Paleo lifestyle to reap the benefits and
improved health continues to the present day. His body fat now averages 10 per
cent, the spare tyre has disappeared, his blood pressure is now in the optimal
range, and he is no longer iron-deficient anaemic. His resting heart rate is an
athletic 38 beats per minute. He’s stronger, fitter and healthier now than at any
other period of his life. No more back or knee pain, increased energy levels, and
a renewed sense of vitality.
Other biomarkers of health such as cholesterol, blood triglycerides, fasting
glucose, vitamin and mineral levels and many other parameters are within
normal or optimal ranges, which had not been the case before.
He now advises people on achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle amidst
the epidemic of obesity and other chronic lifestyle diseases. Darryl can be found
at Primal Play (www.PrimalPlay.com) where he talks about the importance of
living a Play-based lifestyle. He lives in London, England.
Contact Me
Have any questions? Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me on social
media or via my websites using the hashtag: #AnimalMovesBook
Twitter/Instagram: @FitnessExplorer
Facebook: facebook.com/fitnessexplorer
Web: PrimalPlay.com
Paleo Fitness
Paleo Fitness: A Primal Training and Nutrition Program to Get Lean, Strong
and Healthy (Ulysses Press 2013)
Paleo Fitness is packed with step-by-step exercises for an up to 12-week
programme, a nutrition primer, a two-week meal plan and delicious,
satisfying, healthy recipes. This book shows you how to work out with
functional, practical and primal movements.
Paleo f(x) - Best Fitness Book Award Winner 2015.
Find out more at: www.PaleoFitnessBook.com
Paleo from A to Z
Paleo from A to Z: A Reference Guide to Better Health Through Nutrition and
Lifestyle. How To Eat Live and Thrive as Nature Intended. (Explorer Publishing
2015)
The Paleo lifestyle encyclopaedia. Paleo from A to Z consists of over
500 topics cutting through the misinformation that surrounds health and
nutrition. The listings are in an easy-to-use A-Z format linked to related
topics, an appendix of research citations and resources are included too.
Paleo Magazine Best Health/Wellness Book Winner – 2016.
Find out more at: www.PaleoFromAtoZ.com
The Importance of Play
Grab your FREE eBook download on The Importance of Play at
www.primalplay.com
Thinking of doing a similar programme but with
video to assist you?*
__________
* There’s an online programme called the Animal Moves Challenge just for you
—you can find out more about it on the next page.
Animal Moves Video Course
Find out more at: courses.primalplay.com
Access to online video workout demonstrations, to help you maximise
your results!
A journal you can complete to keep track of your progress and help with
motivation plus access to the private FACEBOOK support group.
Hints and tips on effective goal-setting to implement lasting change.
Evidence-based research on why these movement patterns are beneficial
for mind and body.
A clear step-by-step online programme that is accessible on all of your
devices.