As many of you know, I am a fan of calisthenics.
I do, however, realize and admit its downfalls. Calisthenics or bodyweight training, is not perfect. And to leave out all the other modalities of activity and movement that exist would be doing myself serious injustice.
I do not believe there is one size fits all, and that a nice balance or mix of many activities is truly beneficial.
In addition to calisthenics, I do yoga, core/Pilates, gymnastic training, strength training (Just bought a portable kettlebell) martial arts, dance, juggling.
I also meditate on an ongoing basis. Because the opposite of constant motion, is well, no motion or action, and meditation is a fantastic complimentary to this.
I don’t believe in one type of dogma when it comes to activity or movement.
What is Divergent Movement?
Well honestly it’s a phrase i just coined, combining movement (activity or motion) with the process of divergent thinking (exploration of multiple solutions).
Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions.
Although I have been pretty much divergently thinking my whole life, I first learned about it’s official naming in modern society, in a Ted Talk by Sir Ken Robinson, here is the video (Time: 11:40 minutes):
Movement can be defined as, any action or activity either with the hands and feet fixed in a space and thereby not having full range of movement also known as closed kinetic chain exercises (Examples: push-ups and their derivatives, pull-ups (or chin-ups), dips, squats, deadlifts, lunges, power cleans) or where the hands and feet are free to move, also known as open kinetic chain exercises. (Examples: bench press, or any leg press).
Of course, these two definitions of movement are over-simplified versions of what are actually complex human anatomical movements. There are many more specific types of actual physical movements, 14 to be exact, that are listed below.
Types of Movements
In addition, to these two broad types of “exercise” movements here are a list of other types of movements as it pertains to the human anatomy:
- Abduction is movement away from the center, as spreading the toes or fingers apart.
- Adduction is movement toward the midline of the body, as bringing the fingers and toes together. (Adduction and abduction always refer to movements of the appendicular skeleton).
- Angular motion is comprised of flexion, extension, adduction, and abduction. Each is based on reference to a certain anatomical position.
- Circumduction is a special type of angular motion, described as making circular movements as moving the arm in a loop.
- Dorsiflexion / Plantar flexion refers to movements of the foot. Dorsiflexion is the movement of the ankle while elevating the sole, as if digging in the heel. Plantar flexion is the opposite movement, extending the ankle and elevating the heel, as if standing on tiptoes.
- Elevation / Depression occurs when a structure moves in a superior or inferior direction, as the mandible is depressed when the mouth is opened and elevated when the mouth is closed.
- Extension occurs in the same plane as flexion, except that it increases the angle between articulating elements. Extension reverses the movement of flexion. Hyperextension is a continuation of movement past the anatomical position, which can cause injury.
- Flexion is movement in the anterior-posterior plane that reduces the angle between the articulating elements as in bringing the head toward the chest; that is, flexing the intervertebral joints of the neck.
- Gliding occurs when two opposing surfaces slide past each other as between articulating carpals and tarsals and between the clavicles and sternum.
- Opposition is a special movement of the thumb which enables it to grasp and hold an object.
- Pronation / Supination refers to the rotation of the distal end of the radius across the anterior surface of the ulna. This rotation moves the wrist and hand from palm-facing-front (supination) to palm-facing-back (pronation).
- Protraction entails moving a part of the body anteriorly in the horizontal plane, as in jutting the face forward to gain distance at a finish line.
- Retraction is the reverse movement of protraction as in pulling the jaw back towards the spine.
- Rotation involves turning the body or a limb around the longitudinal axis, as rotating the arm to screw in a light-bulb.
Realizing that your own physical journey with regards to movement, is not a linear process nor is it one that can be achieved, it is in fact, an experience.
You see we are in a human body, and as part of that we are truly meant to be moving, in motion, whatever form of activity that works for you at this precise moment.
The human body, is an incredibly forgiving entity. If we neglect it, and then begin to give it the care it needs, it can quickly rebound.
Divergent movement is one of those tools that you can use to help you, if you find that you have been living a unfulfilled sedentary lifestyle.
We are not for lack of resources, that come in the form of applied knowledge. It’s one thing to study dance, it’s entirely quite the other to actually participate in it.
We are meant to move, and divergent movement, is about finding that activity that best suits you, all the while knowing that you can change and try something else, and that there is no right or wrong answer.
