We’ve often been told that good physical health consists of three elements: strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and stretching. But when I look over my clients’ intake cards, I rarely find people who engage in all three. Weight lifters often have little interest in stretching or cardio; runners and cyclists pay little attention to stretching and weights; and yoga practitioners are sometimes poorly motivated to do cardiovascular or strength training activities.

To be sure, good health requires a balance of all three and balance is the key word here. Keeping all three in relative proportion is a great prescription for maintaining and improving your physical health. But are they sufficient? Even when people do all three, they can still feel like prisoners in their own bodies. What’s the solution?

When ask myself this question, I often think back to our ancestors and how they lived before the days of automation, or even agriculture. Before we morphed into repetitive behavioral patterns and sedentary living, we were always on the move; nothing was repetitious. In some cultures, this type of living is still common and the results are visible

A few years back, I went to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and was amazed at the grace and poise of the indigenous people, the elegant curves of their spines and their beautifully erect posture. Why? Because like our ancestors, they moved continuously, not in the repetitive, premeditated, gym-structured way common to us now.

The question is, how can we bring this element back into our lives? By letting our bodies move freely without conscious intervention and giving that subcortical loop in our brains free reign again. Things like kicking a soccer ball, shooting hoops, jumping on a trampoline, playing volleyball, body boarding, or throwing a Frisbee at the beach are all good examples and there are countless others. So take a break from your routine and give your body a chance to play and explore. And if you find that one activity causes you discomfort, try another, but keep moving! Your body will benefit, and I can almost guarantee you that your mind will too!