With the advent over the last decade, there has been an emergence toward breaking free from the chains of what is considered traditional exercise and liberating oneself from the bondage of the typical and often specialised “fitness” mentality and modalities, and moving toward a more natural form of “exercise”. This liberation is aptly called, Natural Movement.

For many of you reading this blog, you are the true exceptions to the rule. And I am of course preaching to the choir. However, for many of you new readers, please take heart to this very special interview.

There was an old adage,  from the famous sports announcer, Howard Cosell, “What’s right isn’t always popular, and what’s popular isn’t always right.”

I would add that what’s right isn’t necessarily what’s easy also.

Erwan, is what I like to think of, as a true pioneer. He goes against the conventional thinking, and really that’s what the world of health and fitness are so in dire need of these days. A break from traditional modalities to something that is just down right fun.

Why must we go to the proverbial “gym” when you can just as easily step outside and be in nature and enjoy the natural gym that is all around us.

Erwan, has taken the teachings of the physical education lessons from Europe and applied them to our every day in this modern world with his coaching method, fitness program and certification system which you can find at www.MovNat.com. He is an inspiration to us all that you can be the change you wish to see in the world. And it first starts with the man in the mirror. (So many trite sayings, I know, but they are trite, because there is a hint of truth to them.)

I am incredibly thrilled and honored to bring you, Erwan Le Corre.

Thank you for joining us, Erwan, to begin….

Could you tell us a little bit about how you got into natural movement?

Oh my, it’s a long story! Like everyone else I got into natural movement the moment I was born. I was lucky, as a very young boy with my parents always taking me on long hikes in the woods. Particularly my dad would always challenge me to climb higher, jump further, swim underwater holding my breath.

I guess he wanted me to grow up doing all he did when he was a boy himself, you know at a time where most kids were spending most of their time playing outside, long before TVs and electronic entertainments. So I wasn’t just let free to move naturally, I was literally constantly encouraged to do so.
My whole life I’ve been training diverse movement disciplines or sports, learning techniques or efficiency principles from diverse sources. Looking back I realize that what they almost all had to do with a particular aspect of natural movement, such as rock climbing, trail running, swimming and free diving, Olympic lifting, martial arts etc…

Through those sports or disciplines I was instinctively seeking practicality, which means that what you train for, even as a specialized discipline, can be very useful in the real-life. This is exactly what my approach is today.
Ironically, in the beginning people didn’t know MovNat when I created it, so I started to use the term “Natural Movement” as a quick way to explain it…only to realize that whether people were into fitness or not, they had absolutely no idea what I was actually talking about. They would often ask “is it yoga?” So I had to define “Natural Movement” in a very concise, rational way to have people understand what it was, and by extension what MovNat was about.

I have been popularizing consistently “Natural Movement” since 2007. Before that you’d be hard-pressed to find any program in the fitness industry that used that term, or consistently, or even with a clear definition for it. So I didn’t just get into natural movement, I literally gave it the – almost – mainstream attention it is getting today.
Today my method for teaching, learning and training Natural Movement is called MovNat. It is rooted in over 300 years of Physical Education history (links to MN articles) in Europe. What this means is that the whole thing didn’t  start with me, it is a long, long line of people, even though back then they didn’t call it “Natural Movement’, they had different names for it, such as natural gymnastics. It doesn’t really matter, what matters is that they were approaching fitness and exercise in a very healthy, authentic and meaningful way already in my opinion over a century ago. MovNat is replicating that in an improved fashion that is also scientifically validated.
Since 2009 it has received a lot of attention from major health & fitness magazines and has become world-renowned, with close to 4000 certified trainers worldwide. Fundamentally we teach techniques and efficiency in these natural movement skills, as well as the strength and conditioning associated with them. We consider ourselves as a school of real-world physical competency and preparedness. This being said, the benefits of the MovNat method start to be recognized beyond the fitness community, including sports coaches (MMA, hockey, basket ball), military and LEO’s, or health care practitioners.

It seems that worldwide there is a desire to move our bodies outside of the normalcy or the typical fitness regimens, why do you feel more people are embracing natural movement nowadays?

​I believe this has to do with two reasons, number one is a mix of boredom, disappointment, and frustration with a conventional, machine-based, muscle-isolation based approach to exercise.​

​Look, who truly enjoys going to the gym to let machines confine, shape and dictate how your body moves? To me this era is done, it’s just a matter of time. There is an evolutionary drive within us for authentic, natural movements, movement with purpose, movement that is adaptable and free.

Then you have the people and a few fitness programs out there that inspire people to embrace that direction. Ultimately, you’ve got a trend that a greater number of people are ready to follow, because they’re shown a way that makes more sense, looks for fun, shows better results, and that many other people already do with wonderful benefits in their life.

You have inspired people all around the world, who has inspired you in your life?

​Thank you. Many people have inspired me and keep inspiring me, not just one, not just a few. Because so many people are truly inspiring. In that sense, I don’t have “heroes”, or I could say I have too many.​ ​Look, when I was a kid I loved to read about ancient warriors, native Indians or pirates.​

They all inspired me, their examples all played a part in influencing who I chose to become and the kind of life I decided to live.

Along the way I have met great athletes and teachers in martial arts, endurance sports and so on. Totally unknown people who live a simple, yet happy and healthy life, who have inspired me. People who quietly know what true love is and show it without words or with very few words have a lot of power to me.

Some people have inspired me because I read a book or watched a movie about their story and life, whereas I never met them in person, and they’re not even among us any longer. You see that’s how inspiration works. It is not always in the big things, the big feats and achievements.

For instance, to be happy and stay healthy in this modern world is quite an achievement don’t you think?

So for that reason it is not that much about “who” is inspiring but why they are, what in who they are or what they do is inspiring.

If you look around, just around, where you are, the people you know…you’ll find tons of inspiration right there. I like to say that being inspired is halfway being inspiring yourself, just because the uplifting feeling of inspiration is easily shared even subconsciously.

If you could thank three people in your life who would they be and what would you say to each of them?

​My wife Jessika and my 3 children Feather, Eagle and Sky (sorry, that makes it 4!) and beyond what I tell them everyday which is “I love you”, I would tell them thank you for the immense gift of love and family.
​

What’s the most important lesson you have learned in life?

​To operate not primarily from the mind, but most importantly from the heart, and to keep that heart open, relaxed, confident, happy and loving always.​ ​ It has never been a single lesson or revelation.

It is a lesson to be relearned​, to be remembered all the time. A life spent with a closed heart, a stiff heart, and a mind that wants to control it all, is not worth living really.

In one sentence or phrase how would you define success?
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To have never stopped self-improving or applied yourself to improving yourself, and to have lived with love. In that regard, you can only judge your success at the end of your life.​

What was the best decision you have made?

​To marry my wife Jessika.​

What was the most challenging or difficult decision you had to make?

​It was many years ago, I was 18 and decided to not follow the “highway”​ ​and instead follow my own path.​ In fact, you can only follow your own path by creating it, which requires clarity, consistency.

To dissociate yourself from the masses, your family, what you’re supposed to do that’s “normal”, that takes lots of courage and also lots of work, but it is immensely rewarding.

What question should I have asked you that I didn’t ask? Why is that question important and what is the answer?

​Your questions were great.​

To learn more about Erwan Le Corre check out his website: https://www.movnat.com/

To learn about MovNat check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MovNat/

Check out more videos from MovNat at: https://www.youtube.com/user/MovNat

Check out this great video with UFC Carlos Condit, explaining the advantages he has received from Natural Movement and working with Erwan Le Corre

Check out this fantastic video of Erwan doing what he loves and does best, Natural Movement