If you’ve ever tried a new exercise or returned to working out after a break and thought, “Why does this feel so hard—or even painful?”—you’re not alone. Movement isn’t just about strength or flexibility. It’s about control. And when we don’t have control in certain positions or during certain motions, our body finds ways to compensate—sometimes in ways that lead to injury or burnout.
That’s where The Movement Continuum comes in. This approach helps you—and your coach or therapist—understand how your body moves, where you might be struggling, and how to build back movement patterns in a way that feels safe, effective, and sustainable.
Let’s break it down.
What Is the Movement Continuum?
At its core, the Movement Continuum helps identify what parts of a movement your body can control and where it might be losing control. That’s super important, because movement should feel strong and steady—not shaky, painful, or restricted.
This system helps answer questions like:
“Why does my back hurt when I squat?”
“Why do I feel out of breath holding a plank?”
“Why can I go down into a lunge but not back up without wobbling?”
By breaking movements down into two parts—positions and transitions—we can find out exactly what’s working and what needs attention.
Positions and Transitions: Your Movement Building Blocks
Position is just what it sounds like—being in a certain shape or posture. Think about:
The bottom of a squat
Holding the top of a push-up (plank)
Hanging from a pull-up bar
Standing on one leg
These are positions. They’re great for checking if your body is aligned, stable, and breathing well. They also give us clues about how your joints and muscles are working together.
Transition is the motion between those positions. For example:
Moving into or out of a squat
Lowering yourself down during a push-up
Stepping into a lunge and then standing back up
This is where a lot of control gets tested. Can you move smoothly and without pain? Can you keep your form as things speed up or get heavier?
4 Signs You Might Be Losing Movement Control
Understanding how you move isn’t just about what you can do—it’s also about what your body might be telling you. There are four main signs we look for:
1. Pain
Do you feel pain while holding a certain position?
Does it hurt as you move from one position to another?
Does pain show up after your workout?
These are all important clues. Pain is never “just part of training”—it’s feedback.
2. Breathing
Can you take a full breath while holding a position?
Does your breathing match your movement when lifting, jumping, or running?
If you’re holding your breath or gasping for air, your body might be working harder than it needs to. Breathing should match the intention of the movement. Sometimes that means calm, relaxed breaths in a static position. Other times, it means using breath to pressurize and stabilize your body during a more intense effort—like bracing for a heavy lift or powering through a sprint.
3. Posture and Stability
Can you get into the intended position (e.g. a deep squat)?
Can you stay there without shaking, falling over, or feeling exhausted after a few seconds?
If the answer to either question is no, that’s not a failure—it’s feedback. Mobility is your ability to get into the intended position. Stability is your ability to maintain control once you're there—especially as the position becomes more challenging. We want both, and the good news is they’re both trainable.
4. Impact Control
Can you control your landings, or are you falling when coming into contact with the ground or another surface?
Whether it's jumping, stepping down, or changing direction, your ability to absorb force and manage impact tells us a lot about your movement readiness.
How We Build Better Movement (Step-by-Step)
Here’s the good news: once we understand where control is missing, we can train it—just like building strength or endurance. We start where you are and progress at your pace.
To improve positional control, we might:
Remove help or support gradually (like using less assistance from a wall or band)
Change your stance or surface to gently challenge your balance
Adjust the angle of your limbs to make holding a position harder or easier
To improve transitional control, we might:
Slow things down to work on strength through the full range
Add resistance and gradually increase it
Practice moving between positions with intention before adding speed or weight
This isn’t just about avoiding pain or playing it safe. It’s about building confidence, safety, and capacity—so you can do more of what you love, with less risk of injury. It can absolutely be about chasing personal records—as long as your body is ready for it. The Movement Continuum helps make sure you’re progressing at the right pace, with the right foundation underneath you.
Why This Matters for You
The Movement Continuum isn’t just for athletes or people recovering from injury. It’s for anyone who wants to:
Feel stronger and more balanced in daily life
Get back to exercise safely
Bridge the gap between rehab and performance by showing you what you’re ready for—and when
Improve performance without sacrificing long-term health
Understand why some movements feel harder than others
This approach gives you a clear roadmap. No more guessing. No more pushing through pain. Just a smarter, more personalized way to train, move, and thrive.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to avoid your favorite activities—you just need a clear system to assess what you can control right now, and how to build from there.
That’s what the Movement Continuum offers: a simple, structured way to understand how your body is moving, where it’s strong, and where it needs support. It helps take the guesswork out of training, so you’re always working at the right level, with the right focus.
Progress starts with knowing your baseline. From there, everything becomes more intentional—and more effective.
📘 Go Deeper into the Movement Continuum
If this blog sparked your interest, you can dive much deeper into the Movement Continuum in my book, Longevity Through Movement. It serves as the foundation for understanding how to assess, restore, and progress movement with clarity and purpose. Inside, you'll find detailed guidance, real-life applications, and the full system that helps you train smarter and move better—no matter your age or background.