Clare Rawlings spoke passionately about helping people become less dependent on constantly being ‘fixed’.
In last week’s instalment of Wednesday Wellness on Lichfield Radio, I welcomed to the studio Clare Rawlings, founder of Raw Movement, for a brilliant discussion about movement, posture and the surprising importance of our feet.
Before this, I read through a few positive health stories currently making the headlines. One topic was the growing conversation around ‘yo-yo’ dieting and how repeated cycles of extreme dieting may actually work against long-term health goals.
Emerging research is starting to suggest that this method of dieting is actually not as detrimental to our metabolism as was once thought. It is also encouraging that the conversation around weight management is beginning to shift away from punishment and restriction, and more towards sustainable habits, metabolic and gut health and understanding how stress, hormones and lifestyle all interact.
My favourite story explored creativity being used as healthcare – from art and music therapy to dance, movement and creative workshops. More evidence is emerging that creative activities can significantly improve mental wellbeing, stress management and even physical health outcomes. It’s a reminder that health isn’t just about medicine – it’s also about connection, expression and enjoyment.
This led perfectly to our guest for the morning, Clare, who works across schools, education and workplaces teaching people how to move better and understand their bodies more confidently.
Clare explained that many of us are effectively “trained out” of natural movement patterns as we grow up. Children naturally squat, climb, balance and move freely, but over time many of us adopt the habits of the people around us – particularly if we grow up in environments dominated by sitting, driving and desk work.
Poor posture, stiffness and reduced mobility often don’t happen overnight. They develop gradually through years of repetitive movement patterns and lack of movement variety.
Clare spoke passionately about helping people become less dependent on constantly being ‘fixed’, and instead learning how to understand and support their own bodies through movement, strength and awareness.
We also had a very entertaining comparison of footwear choices in the studio – Clare arrived wearing barefoot-style shoes designed to allow natural foot movement and better function… while I was sat in pointed stiletto boots, fully aware that my fashion choices may not exactly have been helping my toe alignment or posture!
The conversation around barefoot footwear was genuinely fascinating. Clare explained that many modern shoes restrict the natural movement of the foot, potentially affecting balance, strength and even posture further up the body.
To help people learn more, Clare is hosting a special barefoot footwear event on 1 June at The Beerbohm, from 4–6.30pm, alongside ‘Barefoot Brit’ and Daniel Adams. The event will give people the opportunity to try a range of barefoot-style shoes, to understand why foot function matters and explore whether different footwear choices could help improve comfort and movement.
There are now very few spaces remaining (I only just managed to get mine!) so nab one while you can.
More information can be found here.
Clare can also be contacted at clare@rawmovement.co.uk.
As always, Wednesday Wellness reminded us that health is rarely just one thing. Sometimes it’s blood tests and medical advances, other times it starts with something as simple as how we stand, walk and move through everyday-life.