NATURALLY, YOU’LL WANT TO MOVE
Dancing women at the disco: glittery earrings and bell-bottoms obligatory
When Movement Was Natural
Dressed in prison-grey canvas bloomers and a red t-shirt, I stood in line for tunnel ball on the school netball courts. As a 7-year-old, moving was, by far, the best part of my day. Picture three teams of eight children, each lined up behind the other, legs straddled wide to create a human tunnel. The leader would bend down and catapult a ball through this tunnel of legs to the last person, who'd scoop it up and race to the front. It was pure genius, really - combining strategy (perfectly aligning those legs), skill (launching that ball straight and true), and teamwork (our enthusiastic chants of "bend, tunnel, run!"). No special clothes beyond those hideous bloomers, no expensive equipment, no scheduling required. Just bodies buzzing with pent-up enthusiasm. ready to explode into motion, and squeals of agony when the ball would ricochet off a misaligned limb.
DANCING THROUGH DECADES
Is this the essence of movement? Those 90s club nights tell the story equally as well. We'd meet at the door, negotiate with the bouncer, and move spontaneously until dawn. No workout plan, no step counter, no performance metrics - just bodies responding to beats, to pleasure, to the simple sensations of motion. Hours of unrestrained euphoric activity left us exhausted but dripping with elation, having learned a few new moves too - some best forgotten, if the running man is anything to go by.
Even now, at Ντισκομπάλα in Athens - a cozy night spot where disco reigns supreme - I watch how quickly we recall that sensation. When my friend Lotta visited, her "just a little while" because of her dodgy knee turned into hours of "just one more tune." Every time we moved, our spirits shifted - minds freed from distraction, hearts beating with the tunes, legs (and knees) tired but still wanting to move. Each change led to another, our bodies giving way to their natural state of continuous motion.
THE GREAT ENGINEERING OF STILLNESS
Look around and you'll see how we've designed movement right out of our world - elevators, escalators, e-scooters, remote controls, delivery services. My neighbour (as fabulous as he is) exemplifies this shift - taking his motorbike even to the nearby bakery, carefully avoiding the hill that could nourish his body. For him and many of my guests, that uphill return is "simply rude." Meanwhile, three years of embracing those daily climbs has quietly transformed what my body can do - my breath comes easier, my legs are stronger, and my arthritic knee complains less.
SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT
Moving sets off this incredible chain reaction in your body - our body's way of saying "yes, this is exactly what you're designed to do my friend." Our hearts kicks into gear, sending oxygen-rich blood flowing everywhere it needs to go. Our immune systems gets a boost, with defender cells circulating more freely through our bodies. Most wonderfully, the glorious chemistry lab in our brain springs into action.
When we move, our brain and body create a powerful cocktail of chemicals:
Dopamine gives us that satisfying 'I did it!' feeling
Serotonin brightens our mood and helps us sleep better
Endorphins create that post-movement glow
BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) all you need to know is that it’s a molecule that nourishes our brain cells
Norepinephrine sharpens our focus and drive
With this chemical symphony, our body feels buoyed up, not just during movement but for hours afterward. Our bodies release all these feel-good chemicals to encourage natural, continuous movement, not to reward us for a punishing workout.
Forget about the idea of exercise - did I really just say that? Yes, I did. I want us to think about letting our bodies do what they're designed to do: move continuously through life. Rather than sitting still for hours and then compensating with intense HIIT classes, contemplate little bursts of movement throughout the day to keep this chemical symphony playing, making us feel more alive, more balanced, and more connected to ourselves.
MOVEMENT SNACKS
Research shows us the value of nibbling on movement throughout the day – those small moments that regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and keep our metabolism humming. Beyond scheduled workouts, how do we find natural responses to our body's desires. Some of my favourites include:
Turning personal calls into walking ones
Standing on one leg while the coffee brews
Using a basket instead of a cart for small grocery runs
Taking stairs to a bathroom on another floor
Quick shoulder rolls while waiting for online meetings
Sound ridiculous? That's exactly the point. Movement that isn't a full-on assault still counts. When you graze on it throughout your day, it also feels less burdensome and more like responding to a deep desire.
CONTINUOUS VS CONSISTENT
I've always been movement-curious rather than movement-gifted. Just about any sport at school tickled my fancy. Football became my thing in my 20s. At 45, I surprised everyone (especially my trainer) by deadlifting 135kg - a feat celebrated with my now legendary 'rabbit in headlights' victory dance. When my body yearned for something more stabilising in my late 40s, yoga suddenly became part of my groove.
I used to believe each new movement chapter needed its own special brand of consistency. Another schedule to follow, another skill to perfect. Now I see consistency for what it is - a way to get good at something specific. But moving continuously? That's about staying alive in your body. It's choosing "I wonder how my body wants to play today?" over "I must go to the gym three times a week." While programmed movement has its place, it's this natural drifting - this listening to what your body desires - that keeps you exploring. That's the thread that weaves through playground games, dance floors, barbells, yoga mats, and who knows, maybe soon, winter swimming.
Do you want to play?
When we were kids, we'd ask each other to play - no thinking required. Remember? Jumping really high, making up dances, walking arm in arm in three-legged races, climbing a rock, chasing each other, sliding down hills on plastic mats soaked by the garden hose. Our choices were simple then - if it felt good, we did it. That feeling hasn't disappeared – just look at my sister, now a flamenco queen in her 40s, or my amazing friend Irene who decided 79 was the perfect age to join a gym. Me? At 50 I'm dreaming of winter swimming off the Athens coast - it seems that's what my body is craving right now.
Your body remembers how to play. Sometimes you just need to give it the chance to surprise you. Maybe you're drawn to follow that spiral staircase just to see where it leads, or linger in a patch of sunlight that warms your shoulders. Perhaps it's choosing the path with more trees, or taking those few extra steps to dip your toes in a fountain. It might be finding your own rhythm while kneading bread, or letting your feet carry you wherever they want to go. Listen to what your body is asking for - no schedule required.
THIS WEEK: find your sacred movement
Find one quiet moment, just for you.
Make it the same time each week. Don’t dress up for it. But guard this time like a dog guards it’s favourite torn and chewed up rope.
Listen to what your body wants in that moment. Get childhood excited about it. Perhaps it's wandering to a market, or following your breath in some basic afternoon stretches, Maybe tracing that winding path up the hill just to see the view. Follow where it leads.
That's all. Start there.
And please share your way to play with me. I’d love to hear from you.