What is Restorative Exercise?

Restorative Exercise (REx) is a corrective movement and alignment program that applies the principals of biomechanics, geometry, and physiology in order to optimize health. Pain and disease often have a mechanical component. REx can help address the mechanical deficiencies we accrue from modern lifestyles.

Modern living has brought us amazing technology and convenience. However, it can actually stymie our health goals in ways we may not have considered previously. Most people have a general understanding of the chemical inputs we require for good health like nutritious food, oxygen, sunshine, and even sleep. But what is largely missing is an understanding of the mechanical inputs, or loads, we also require for optimal health. Poor mechanics and alignment can contribute to foot problems, osteoporosis, joint degeneration, and cardiovascular disease just to name a few.

Modern lifestyles no longer requires us to walk long distances with bare feet, to lift, pull and push items to build shelter, to scramble or climb to hunt for food, to squat to gather, bathroom and birth. These full body loads and all day movements, experienced more in our hunter-gatherer past, acted as mechanical nutrients for our bodies. But today we have a gross deficit of movement and poor alignment that causes pain, loss in mobility, and decreased range of motion. Our convenient lifestyles promote sedentarism in a host of ways and result in a movement “practice” condensed into one-hour exercise sessions and increased overall disease states.

That said, we don’t have to do a historical reenactment of our paleo ancestors to reap the benefits of their movement lifestyle. At Loads of Health, we use the alignment points and correctives of Restorative Exercise to promote frequent, abundant, symmetrical, whole body movements in alignment. We address habit change in order to stand and move in alignment all day, which allows gravity to work FOR the body instead of against it. And the REx correctives are used to target and mobilize sedentary parts of the body. This movement practice results in increased flow, mobility, joint range of motion, and strength to weight ratio in the body. It allows you to live, move, and BE more comfortable in your body.