In a Wildfitness week, cavepeople-in-training are put through a programme of primal movements such as open-water swimming, barefoot running and bodyweight-based “animal” movements, such as a crab and bear crawl or frog jumps. There is also an emphasis on getting plenty of rest and eating wholesome food, around a fire, with your tribe.
“The goal isn’t to lose weight — although everyone does — it’s more about an enhanced sense of connection to your body, to nature, to other people,” says Walters. “Just as our ancient ancestors needed strong social relationships to survive and thrive, we need that sense of belonging for optimal health.”
Erwan Le Corre looks like Tarzan, and is the founder of MovNat, an outdoor fitness system that prioritises natural movement over burning calories. “Being fit isn’t about being able to lift a steel bar or finish an Ironman,” he says. “It’s about rediscovering our biological nature and releasing the wild human animal inside.
“I meet men all the time who can bench 400 pounds but can’t climb up through a window to pull someone from a burning building. Lots of swimmers do laps every day but can’t dive deep enough to save a friend.”
To that end, participants at a MovNat workshop might pass rocks to each other, shimmy down poles and wade through swamps. Le Corre believes that our sedentary and sterilised modern lifestyles are the equivalent of a “human zoo”.
He says: “We have become divorced from nature, trapped in colourless boxes. We have lost our adaptability, and it’s threatening our health and longevity.”
Ben Medders agrees that primitive-style workouts are gaining popularity as we feel more disconnected from each other and the natural world.
“We spend so much time in front of TVs and computers, taking in information that someone else is feeding us,” he says. “Touching the earth, seeing things with your own eyes, tuning into your senses provides an opportunity to live first hand. It’s critical that people step away from their iPads on a regular basis, go out and feel alive again.”
After my morning of scampering around the Heath, I feel rejuvenated and primevally fit. There’s a satisfaction and adrenaline boost that you get from throwing a rock or climbing branches that you just don’t from a HITT class. And unlike the gym there are no handy mirrors in nature, so it’s only later that I discover I’m covered in dirt.
Suddenly my lonely lunch-hour jog on the treadmill seems a bit domesticated. It is a jungle out there, after all.
