From pain to purpose to published: starting a new chapter for Reclaim Movement

In September 2020 I opened my doors, both virtual and real, to clients who wanted me to coach them in this thing called “natural movement.” Back then, when people asked what it was, I’d often spend five minutes explaining before it finally clicked for them. Those conversations taught me a lot, not least that I needed to be more succinct! And when the penny dropped, it always made sense: the way we move all the time, not just while exercising, shapes how we feel, what we’re capable of now and, most importantly, in our futures.

Before that, I’d been working with willing “guinea pigs”: friends, other coaches, family members, anyone who’d let me practise. I’d certified the previous September, but it took me six months to admit that even while training I’d been harbouring what felt like a pipe dream; maybe I could help others feel as good as I was finally feeling. I was amazed how few people in the UK seemed to be talking about the importance of natural, everyday movement.

Katy Bowman’s work inspired me, along with other voices in the field. But much of what I read and watched still felt out of reach for most people, myself included. After all, how many of us are really going to dismantle our modern lives and live like hunter-gatherers? Yet I felt strongly that if people weren’t aware of the dysfunction our lifestyles were creating, things would only get worse. Having lived through years of chronic pain, searching for answers, I knew this way of seeing movement had to be shared.

So I began to communicate online, mostly through Instagram. I showed how I’d taken these ideas and applied them to my own life. After all, topless men swinging through trees or hauling boulders wasn’t going to inspire people like me, a late-forties mum of three in Oxford and less so those in the second half of their lives. But the underlying message was vital: move more often, in more varied ways; protect joint and muscle health; get outdoors; connect with nature and other people; rediscover joy in moving. That was the message I had to share, but I had to do it my way.

When your message isn’t mainstream, when you’re saying that long-term habits matter more than quick fixes and hacks, and your approach isn’t Pilates, HIIT, Yoga or Running, it takes a lot of storytelling.

If it hadn’t been for a viral reel a couple of years later, many people might never have heard me. But the reason they followed my account (@reclaim.movement) wasn’t that one reel; it was all the messages that had gone before it that resonated. That was when I knew there was a real need for this message. And having now coached hundreds of people since then, I’m all the more sure there’s a need for my voice in a sea of noise.

The irony of running a business as a movement coach is that getting your message into the world involves as much writing as movement coaching. Luckily, I’ve always loved writing. As a girl, I used to write letters to my grandmother, who once told me how beautifully I wrote and that maybe I’d be a journalist one day. One comment can stay with you for life.

So when an editor from a publishing company I admired reached out, saying she’d followed me for years and that my message needed a book, I felt flattered, intimidated, and excited. That excitement told me it was the right path. I’d never set out to be an author, but here was the chance to share the whole message. Not just snippets on social media or short podcast conversations, but with the depth it deserved.

A crucial part of my work is explaining why improving everyday movement is such a powerful key to our future. I know from experience that when I haven’t embraced the “why” behind a habit, it rarely sticks. Writing a book gave me the chance to weave the “why” with the “how”; a golden opportunity.

This book has taken a long time to bring to life, even longer than a pregnancy! Like my children, it’s something I’m immensely proud of and can’t wait to share with family, friends and anyone who needs to hear it. 

And what a way to celebrate my 5th business birthday! If you’d told me back then that I’d not only be running a business I love, one that’s tested me, challenged me, and given me true purpose, but also be a (nearly) published author, I wouldn’t have believed you.

I haven’t held a copy in my hands yet, and I’ll share the unboxing online when I do. In the meantime, you can discover what’s inside ‘Move Well for Life: Unlock the life-changing power of everyday movement’ by clicking here.

When we move well, our whole being is involved. Moving regularly through our full range, at every level, builds mobility, strength, ease and stability, and with them confidence, resilience, and a more positive outlook on life, now and in the future.

If you’d like to set your 2026 off on the right foot (your copy will arrive just as the year begins), I’d love you to place a pre-order.

With huge excitement,

Wendy