Blog : Debbie Wyer Pilates

Why Your Body Loves to Move (Just Ask Your Dog!)

By Debbie Wyer on 28 February 2025

Have you ever noticed how animals always stretch when they wake up? Take Cookie, our pup, for example. No matter how excited she is to see us, tail wagging like a helicopter, she never skips her morning routine.
She'll stretch into an updog, then a downdog (yes, that's where yoga got those names!), move a little, stretch again, and only then is she ready to greet us properly.

Animals instinctively understand something we often forget: Movement helps our bodies feel ready for life.

What Happens When We Stop Moving?

Now think about what many of us do when we wake up, get out of the car, stand after sitting on the sofa, or finish a long day at a computer.

We often just get on with the next thing.

But our bodies love variety. They need movement, hydration, and sensory information to stay healthy and adaptable.

Even a few minutes of gentle stretching, mobility, or simply moving in a different way can help you feel less stiff and more connected to your body.

Regular movement can help:

Improve posture and body awareness
Reduce feelings of stiffness
Support balance and coordination
Encourage healthy circulation
Help you move with greater ease and confidence

Why Sitting Can Make You Feel Stiff

Have you ever stood up after sitting for a while and felt like your body needed a few moments to "warm up"?

You're not imagining it.

When we spend long periods in one position, our muscles, joints, fascia, and nervous system receive less variety of movement and sensory information.

Over time, this can contribute to:

Tight hips and hamstrings
Stiffness through the back and shoulders
Changes in posture
Feeling less mobile or comfortable in your body

The answer isn't necessarily more stretching. It's more awareness and more appropriate movement.

What Is the "Fuzz"?

Gil Hedley, PhD, is well known for his work exploring human anatomy and helping people appreciate the incredible complexity of the body.

In his famous "Fuzz Speech", he explains how connective tissue changes when the body experiences periods of stillness.

Rather than thinking of this as something that needs to be "fixed", it's helpful to understand it as a reminder that our tissues respond to how we live.

Movement helps maintain healthy, adaptable tissues.

Your body is designed to move.

So perhaps every time you stand up after sitting, you could think of it as your own version of a little "Kate Bush" dance! (If you've been to one of my classes, you'll know exactly what I mean.)

Why Movement Matters

If you've ever experienced an injury, you'll know how quickly your body adapts.

You might protect a sore area, change the way you walk, or avoid certain movements without even realising.

These adaptations are clever, they help keep you moving while you recover. But if they continue for a long time, they can create patterns that leave other areas of the body working harder than they need to.

This is why regular, mindful movement is so important. Not because we need to push harder. Because we need to keep communicating with our bodies.

How MELT and Pilates Can Help

This is one of the reasons I love combining MELT and Pilates.

Before all my Pilates classes, we use MELT techniques to help improve sensory awareness, support the nervous system, and reconnect the relationship between the brain and body.

This helps prepare you for movement by encouraging your body to feel more balanced and supported.

MELT can help you:

Improve body awareness and alignment
Support your nervous system
Feel more grounded and connected
Move with greater ease
Recognise early signs that your body needs attention

Keep Your Body Moving for Life

You don't need hours of exercise to support your body.

Small moments of movement throughout the day matter.

Stretch when you wake up.

Move after sitting.

Take a walk.

Breathe.

Reconnect.

Your body is constantly adapting to what you ask of it.

Give it regular opportunities to move, and it will thank you.

If you'd like to experience how MELT and Pilates can help you feel more connected, mobile, and confident in your body, I'd love to welcome you to a class.

Why Your Body Loves to Move (Just Ask Your Dog!)

Categories

Latest Blog Posts

Useful Links