In the first part of this series about the fundamental aspects of human movement, we looked at the concepts of elasticity, length and strength. Elasticity is the body’s ability to absorb force, organise tension throughout the whole body, and rebound efficiently back to its equilibrium. Length is about the space within the body, a sort of decompression that neutralises the compressive forces on a body under tension, and opens up the pathways for energy to flow more fluidly within the body. And strength is about the integrity of the whole body to work as one, rather than having individual parts compete with each other through isolated points of weakness or excess power. Today, we start to dial into the concept of elasticity and how to incorporate it into our movement routines.
The first part of this series made an important point: the body best understood as an interconnected system of bones, muscles, fascia, and the nervous system working in relationship, rather than as a set of isolated parts. It described elasticity as the body’s capability to undergo stress and absorb hits while remaining whole and return to equilibrium quickly, linking that quality to adaptability and recovery. It also framed fascia as a body-wide connective web that distributes force and contributes heavily to body awareness, while the nervous system shapes muscle tone, posture, and our capacity to move with fluidity or defensiveness.
Developing Elasticity
To cultivate elasticity, then, we have to work with the body in this integrated way. Elasticity emerges when tissues regain their ability to load and release, when joints are no longer braced by unnecessary tension, when fascia is hydrated and able to glide effortlessly, and when the nervous system feels safe enough to permit responsiveness instead of chronic guarding. And this is separate from flexibility, by the way. Flexibility is useful, and we will surely delve into it in subsequent articles, however the aim here is not to become more loose, but rather more responsive. Stretching will gradually force more range into the limbs, and weight-lifting will work to contract muscles into greater and greater hardness. Elastic movement will guide greater aliveness into our body. This begins with a shift in how we move. Many people treat movement as either stretching for flexibility or straining for strength. But elasticity belongs to neither. It lives in the middle ground between surrender and rigidity. To cultivate it, movement needs to include oscillation, rebound, rhythm, and whole-body coordination. Think of the natural spring in walking, the pulse of a light skip, the coiling and uncoiling of the spine when reaching, or the way the ribcage, pelvis, shoulders, and feet subtly converse during a balanced gait. These are not dramatic actions, but they are foundational.
Look at how these children play in this park. This is what we’re going for. A return to who we really are. Arms swaying, legs squatting, bodies rolling, knees galloping.
Fundamental Movements for Elasticity
What about the movements you ask? Well, we’re not there yet. Movements are unique to you. Posture and good body alignment is crucial throughout. Breathing in harmony with the movements is fundamental. And for this reason, we are in the process of building out an entire adaptive catalogue so that you can create a guided program based upon where you are, and what your unique needs and goals are.
However, that said, we present below a few general exercises that work for almost everyone. Since these were filmed by other practitioners, we cannot emphasise enough how important it is to pay attention to your body and breath as you move, and ensure they are operating in harmony with the movement and with your own self and capabilities.
Notice how all these movements are bouncy, springy, dynamic, fluid, playful even. This is what we’re going for.
Skipping combines rhythm, rebound, coordination, breath, and posture in a single action
Whole-body bands are useful, since they offer resistance that encourages continuity rather than rigidity
Rhythmic squats for compression and rebound through the centre
Hanging for length, decompression, and restoring spring through the shoulders and trunk
The Mental Component
There’s more to elasticity than just the body movement though. There is also a psychological dimension. A big part, in fact. The first article noted that the nervous system can hold protective patterns for years, particularly when stress becomes chronic and postural contraction becomes normal. When this happens, the parts of the body where this trauma goes into may not only tighten and lose mobility, but trust. It begins to anticipate force before force has arrived, in a visceral kind of perma-contraction. Developing elasticity, in part, means teaching the body that it no longer has to grip. It means releasing that long-held psychological trauma from the body, returning it closer back to it natural, childlike state. This is one reason why forcing intensity to movement too early can and does backfire (think weights). A body organised around defence does not become elastic by command. It becomes elastic through repeated experiences of playful, fluid, free movements, purposeful recovery, and coherence.
In practical terms, this means favouring movement practices that build responsiveness over control. The elastic band work we looked at earlier makes not only practical sense, but common sense then. Skipping and rhythmic squat-and-rise patterns, crawling, hanging, rolling, and light rebound actions that travel through the entire body. These forms of movement invite participation from multiple tissues and systems at once. They ask the body to organise holistically, rather than merely exert bit by bit..
The real measure of progress is not how movement looks from the outside. It is whether the body inside feels more unified, more springy, more spacious, and less effortful in daily life. Walking should feel lighter. Standing should feel less compressed. Reaching, bending, and turning should involve less local strain and more whole-body support. The body should become better at meeting demand without bracing against it. And perhaps above all, the mind and our personality patterns in daily life will come to reflect the freer, more confident nature of bodies too.