Ready to try some gentle movement? Read on to learn more about what it is, why it’s beneficial, and how to add it to your existing routine.
So what is smooth movement?
Gentle movement is the idea that slowing down, engaging fully in activities, and acting in ways that are kind to your mind and body can improve your mental and physical well-being.
Jenny Flora Wells, MSW, LSW, ACSW, a holistic therapist and licensed social worker, defines gentle movement as a practice that helps you flow in the same rhythm as your healthy nervous system.
“Gentle movement includes yoga, Pilates, meditation, walking, tai chi, easy swimming, and even gardening,” says Wells. “Gentle movement helps us reconnect with a slower pace in a world that is constantly moving at a very fast pace.”
While there is no definitive list of light movement activities, any activity that helps you slow down physically or mentally or takes a break from the mental and physical stresses of everyday life, and whose success is not measured in calories burned or pounds lost, is generally classified as light movement.
“Our ancestors were not built to live life as fast as we do today,” says Wells. “In today’s world, it’s common to have a nervous system that’s out of control, which can lead to anxiety, headaches, and nervousness. The goal of gentle movement is to give us the space to move more slowly and deliberately, to rebalance our nervous system, and to get us out of fight-or-flight mode.”
What are the benefits of smooth movement?
It can be difficult to quantify how gentle movement can improve health and well-being, but a study conducted in January 2017 found that: Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity A 12-week yoga and meditation program in a group of 96 individuals showed improvements in “key metabolic and nutritional biomarkers of cellular aging” compared to baseline, suggesting that gentle movement may help slow or improve aging in adults and the problems that come with it.
According to Teresa Baron, Life Time’s Senior Pilates Manager, gentle movement not only helps regulate the nervous system, but also improves the ability to focus on the present moment and fosters a strong connection between mind and body. She has over 500 hours of Pilates training.
“The mind-body connection created through classical Pilates exercises helps improve muscle firing patterns and allows for a more focused focus on the body, without stressing the joints. This allows participants to de-stress and block off the ‘laundry list’ of things they need to get done after class,” says Barone. “By refocusing the mind to focus on the mind, body, and breath, Pilates students report feeling significantly better physically, mentally, and emotionally than when they first came to class.
Baron, like Wells, believes that gentle movement techniques like Pilates can help calm the nervous system.
“Intense exercise can be fun, and it can leave you sweating along with that ‘getting things done’ feeling from your workout,” says Barone. “But gentler movements like Pilates can help stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, or your ‘rest and digest’ system. There are many activities that upregulate your nervous system—like strenuous exercise, the news, and social media—but not many that help regulate your parasympathetic nervous system. That’s why exercises like Pilates can be beneficial and can help improve your sleep quality, energy levels, and ability to cope with stress.”
According to Barone, gentle movement can also help your body recover from the “wear and tear” caused by activities like HIIT-style workouts or other high-intensity activities that focus on burning calories or strengthening muscles.
“Other gentle movements, like Pilates and yoga, help prevent injuries by working on posture and balancing muscle groups,” she says. “Breathing is especially emphasized in Pilates and yoga, and it creates a constant flow of movement throughout the session that is still gentle on the body, pulling one exercise into the next.”
“The goal of gentle movement is to give us the space to move more slowly and deliberately, bringing our nervous system back into balance and out of fight or flight mode.” —Jenny Flora Wells, MSW, LSW, ACSW
Using the 'Alexander Technique' with smooth movements
One of the original forms of smooth movement is the Alexander Technique. The Alexander Technique was created in the 1890s by Frederick Alexander, an Australian performing arts expert. He wanted to get closer to his own body and learn how to move in different ways, something he had been doing for years, and how that affected his overall health.
Today, the Alexander Technique is still practiced by thousands of people around the world and includes breathing techniques, muscle control, and body awareness.
Unlike traditional meditation, the Alexander Technique requires you to be awake, present, and aware of how you hold your body. It is especially beneficial for people who engage in repetitive movement, such as musicians, dancers, runners, and swimmers.
Sumi Comeau, an Alexander Technique instructor in Boulder, Colorado, describes the technique as focusing on “a conscious awareness of the body and acknowledging that humans have habitual ways of moving, speaking, and holding themselves.”
According to Como, the Alexander Technique can include simple exercises like learning how to lengthen your spine when standing up from a sitting position and how to breathe better.
“The Alexander Technique fundamentally teaches you how to move better and be more balanced,” she says. “It’s a really gentle movement practice for anyone.”
The Alexander Technique is often described as “psychophysical retraining,” says Alexander Technique instructor Molly Kittle. It’s an ongoing study of your body, your breath, your self-awareness, and your mind.
“The Alexander Technique is a self-study that helps people become aware of and consciously release unnecessary tension patterns or habits so that all movements can be made easier and more efficient,” Kittle says. “Part of that study is an exploration of the mind-body connection, the mental-physical relationship we have with ourselves.”
How to Incorporate Gentle Movement into Your Life
Although they are called “gentle movements,” trying to suddenly add a bunch of gentle exercise sessions to your schedule can disrupt your existing routine.
Wells says the common trope of “just stop and slow down” in today’s society is not the right way to incorporate gentle movement into your life. Instead, she suggests starting slowly with a gentle movement practice that resonates with you, whether it’s yoga, tai chi, Pilates, or another form of easy, enriching movement.
“Dedicating even five minutes a week to this gentle movement practice is a great way to start,” says Wells. “It can be hard at first to get used to that slow pace or stillness for a variety of physical and mental reasons. If you find it difficult to immerse yourself in gentle movement at first, try telling yourself what you’re observing in the moment. For example, notice what thoughts and feelings come up and be open and curious about what comes up during this practice.”
Wells recommends online yoga classes, guided meditations, and apps like Insight Timer, Headspace, and Calm as great places to start with a variety of instructor-led, gentle movement practices.
Baron also suggests starting with gentle movement exercises slowly and deliberately.
“While it can be tempting to just jump into a Pilates class, there are key components that students may miss out on when they do so,” she says. “If possible, start with a private Pilates class, which many gyms and studios offer. This allows the Pilates instructor to get to know you, your goals, and your body. It also gives you time and space to connect with your mind and body before you dive into a full-on class.”
For Pilates specifically, Baron recommends doing it twice a week to complement other, more intense activities.
The Alexander Technique may seem like one of the simplest and most fluid ways to practice movement, but it can be difficult and frustrating, at least at first, without an instructor.
Both Como and Kittle highly recommend working with an Alexander Technique teacher, in person if possible or online if not, to begin your journey of psychosomatic retraining.
“Learning the Alexander Technique is best done with an instructor. The journey is so physical that it’s much better to experience it with an instructor who can guide you through the principles of the work,” says Kittle. “The goal of the work is to empower people to integrate the ideas of the Alexander Technique on their own, so you may not need an instructor your entire life, but an instructor is the best place to start.”
There are many different activities and practices that fall under the category of gentle movement. Experiment with different approaches to find the gentle movement therapy that works for you. Ultimately, the point of all gentle movement practices is to help you find centering, joy, and connection with the most important person in your life: yourself.
Well+Good articles reference scientific, credible, and recent robust research to support the information we share. You can trust us on your wellness journey.
- Tolahunase M, Sagar R, Dada R. The impact of yoga and meditation on cellular aging in apparently healthy individuals: a prospective, open-label, single-arm exploratory study. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:7928981. doi: 10.1155/2017/7928981. Epub 2017 Jan 16. Eratum in: Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:2784153. doi: 10.1155/2017/2784153. PMID: 28191278; PMCID: PMC5278216.