When Good Exercise Programming Isn’t Enough

Whether you have been coaching or training for a long time, I know you’ve probably experienced quite a bit frustration. You’ve follow evidence-based principles. You balance strength and mobility. You progress load responsibly. And yet, despite doing “everything right,” people still plateau, break down, or cycle through pain and inconsistency.

It isn’t because there is one “magical” strength, mobility, or stability exercise that fixes everything. The issue is more reflective of a bigger issue in our approach at play.

Often, we aren’t even aware of what we are missing because are looking at the wrong places. We think harder, faster, more, more, and more is the solution. Instead, we should be looking at what the science teaches us about creating better fitness outcomes.

In fact, most are hesitant to employ what the research is telling us WORKS because it is against what fitness has largely reinforced to us. If I tell you the answer is to slow down, learn to “soften” your body, focus on sensations you experience, and perform movements that don’t look nearly as cool as 500 pound deadlift, you probably are going to say I’m a bit nuts. However, let me explain…

Mindfulness in Motion

Research comparing mindful movement practices to non-mindful exercise shows that meditative movement can produce greater reductions in anxiety and improvements in overall mental health than conventional exercise alone, likely because the mindful component engages cognitive and emotional regulation alongside physical motion. (PMID: 37244543)

Mindfulness isn’t a nice add-on it shapes how you train. When mindfulness is integrated into movement, it enhances attention control, reduces stress responses, and supports emotional resilience, making workouts more sustainable and meaningful over time.

Studies show that integrating mindfulness with standard weight-loss programs leads to better eating behaviors and greater weight loss compared to diet interventions alone. In a randomized trial, participants who added mindfulness meditation to a behavioral weight-loss program lost significantly more weight and demonstrated improved eating restraint and healthier eating behaviors than those without mindfulness training. (PMID: 29211681)

Motor Coordination and Functional Movement

Fitness is not just about individual capacities (strength, flexibility) in isolation it’s about how the body coordinates these capacities to perform real-world tasks. Flowing movements challenge coordination because they require timing, sequencing, and balance under shifting conditions.

Motor control and rehabilitation research shows that timing, coordination, and integration matter more than just strength for reducing pain and improving function. (PMID: 33609357)

A randomized clinical trial found that motor skill training focused on functional activities resulted in greater short- and long-term functional improvements in people with chronic low back pain compared with strength and flexibility exercise. This demonstrates that improving timing and coordination in real-world movement patterns can yield superior functional outcomes. (PMID: 33369625)

An 8-week functional training program that emphasized integrated, multi-planar movements showed superior improvements in overall movement quality and physical fitness compared with traditional exercise in a randomized trial. These results suggest that long-term training for coordinated, integrated movement enhances functional capacity beyond exercises that focus on isolated strength or calorie burn alone. (PMID: 40951391)

Research evidence supports that MIM type movements improve motor function and physical performance measures such as muscle strength, walking distance, and flexibility. Systematic reviews have found significant improvements in handgrip strength, single-leg stance time, and flexibility after consistent meditative movement training (PMID: 33614126).

A More Balanced, Multi-Dimensional View of Fitness

One of the reasons MIM type movements are often underrated in fitness circles is because it doesn’t fit neatly into traditional categories like “strength training” or “cardio.” Instead, it blends elements of:

• Mindfulness and focus

• Neuromuscular coordination

• Postural balance and stability

• Controlled movement and respiratory integration

• Functional strength and mobility

• Cardiovascular improvements

This integrated approach aligns with research showing that training programs which address coordination, stability, balance, and psychological regulation together often produce better long-term outcomes than programs that isolate only one attribute.

You don’t have to give up other training you enjoy, but you SHOULD find a way to make such training a part of your workouts. It isn’t about adding MORE to what you do, it is about making what you do better and more effective. If you actually want to accomplish the goals you have set forth yourself, you have to understand what leads you to that path.

As they say, doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is madness. Fortunately, we DO have the science to know what can solve a lot your challenges.

Don’t miss a great opportunity to learn how to improve your strength, mobility, balance, stability, and resilience both mentally and physically with our NEW MIM Intensive Coaching Program. Over 9 hours of in-depth coaching on how to integrate the qualities that make movement and well-being much better. Plus we are giving 3 great gifts FREE that will help you immediately feel the impact. Save $80 till Monday HERE!