9 NATURAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES YOU CAN FOLLOW

If you read our recent blog on natural health and natural training, you’ll know how fantastic natural training is for improving your physical performance and long-term health. But even if you understand the benefits of natural training, it takes so many forms that it can be tricky to picture in practice. So to inspire you to start training naturally, here are nine natural-training programmes you can follow right now - ideally in barefootwear to supercharge your gains. VIVOHEALTHVIVOHEALTH is our very own learning hub for improving your natural health from the ground up. From mastering your barefoot fundamentals to revolutionising your running, elevating your performance with breathwork, or even becoming a barefoot coach, VIVOHEALTH’s online courses will enrich every step of your natural-health journey. If you wear barefoot but want to truly live barefoot, VIVOHEALTH is (if we may say so) the perfect place to start.EXPLORE VIVOHEALTHPHASE SIX Founded by wife-and-husband duo Steph and Jay Rose, Phase SiX believes in unconventional full-body movements and workouts that build strong, functional, flexible bodies. Their priority is long-term mobility and health, not muscle definition (though, in true barefoot style, the first leads to the second). Phase SiX workouts are quick and simple, often needing no equipment. They’re also varied, incorporating everything from common bodyweight exercises to ground-based locomotion and unusual, optional props like steel maces. We recommend checking out Phase SiX’s range of in-person events and online programmes, including their Foundations course for beginners. EXPLOREMOVEU MoveU offers workouts, warm ups, live workshops and online programmes designed to fix your stiffness, pains, injuries, and imbalances through aligned movement, strength building and natural health - not by reactively relying on (expensive!) physical therapy and personal training. You can target specific body parts by signing up for corresponding workouts and programmes, or take a whole-body approach through a full membership.EXPLOREALIGN METHOD Pioneered by Aaron Alexander, the Align Method is an approach to harmonising your mind, body, and movement through integrated daily principles and routines - not by being a gym rat. Rooted in five core practices - floor sitting, hanging, hip-hinging, walking and nose breathing - the method fosters a lifestyle that reduces pain, increases functional movement and strength, and boosts mental wellbeing - all naturally. You can explore the Align Method through Aaron’s book, podcast, or The Align Method 6-Week Program, which gathers the method’s most useful tools and tips in one place.EXPLOREXPT LIFE XPT, or Extreme Performance Training, uses a Breathe, Move, Recover curriculum full of nature-based, culturally diverse training methods to build high-performing bodies ready for action and adventure. Breath serves as the foundation for excellent physical performance, mental clarity in crucial moments, and effective sleep and recovery. Movement means time-efficient, wide-ranging mobility exercises - many nature-based - that restore the playfulness and functionality of childhood stolen by modern comforts. And Recovery uses cold-water immersion, heat, nutrition and other tools to round out the performance lifestyle.EXPLOREU NATURALU Natural is a holistic bodyweight-training approach designed to improve strength, power, flexibility, mobility and coordination for everybody, from kids to professional athletes. U Natural’s accessible workouts and courses combine stretching, strengthening, cardio, ground movement, balance, mobility and breathwork to enhance all-round performance and wellbeing. They have something for everybody!EXPLOREMOVENAT The central principle of MoveNat, founded by movement and breathwork pioneer Erwan Le Corre, is that we have not evolved to live in artificial environments, disconnected from nature and the healthy, playful movement we enjoyed as children. Through free online workouts, in-person workshops and retreats, and digital courses, MoveNat reteaches natural movement according to twelve guiding principles. Ultimately, Move Nat will help you combine nature immersion with full mobility to help you live in healthy, creative harmony with the natural world.EXPLORETHE READY STATE Kelly Starrett is a movement maestro, having pioneered mobility-specific workouts for elite performance. After proving the value of mobility with professionals, he’s now on a mission to ensure everyone can perform personal ‘mobility maintenance’ to boost performance, aid recovery, prevent injury and increase long-term health. The focus is on short, simple exercises that people of all ages, fitness levels and motives can easily do at home or in the local park.EXPLOREYOGA WITH ADRIENEYoga may be the world’s most popular example of natural training, and Adriene is arguably the most popular online instructor in the West. Her YouTube channel is brimming with free classes and courses catering to all experience levels, body parts, injuries and times of day. Many videos meditate on particular themes, like connection. Focusing as much on mindfulness as physical conditioning, yoga is a superb way to improve your flexibility, balance, breath control and peace of mind - not to mention break up your work day.EXPLOREFIND YOUR FLOWAll these programmes encourage natural training and movement, and all can transform your mobility, strength and long-term resilience - especially if you train barefoot, remember the principles of natural training and focus on recovering well. So instead of trying to figure out which is ‘the best’, think about which will work best for you. Sustainable motivation is vital, so pick a programme that fits neatly with your lifestyle and goals and, most important of all, brings you fun and joy. Ultimately, the only right answer is the one that makes you feel good!

9 NATURAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES YOU CAN FOLLOW

VIVOHEALTH

PHASE SIX

MOVEU

ALIGN METHOD

XPT LIFE

U NATURAL

MOVENAT

THE READY STATE

YOGA WITH ADRIENE

FIND YOUR FLOW

Leave a comment