Global Rhythms: How Movement Reflects Culture and Climate
Movement is a universal language, but like food, fashion, or music, its dialects are shaped by culture, environment, and history. Travel invites us into these local languages of the body, where the way people move is as expressive as the words they speak.
In Brazil, Capoeira fuses martial arts with acrobatics, music, and community - a rhythmic, resistance-born form of self-expression. In India, the roots of yoga stretch back thousands of years and are still deeply embedded in daily rituals, from sunrise flows on temple rooftops to ashram teachings that connect breath, body, and spirituality. In China, morning tai chi in the park is not just for elders, it's a daily communal practice anchored in balance and flow. And in West Africa, dance is not something performed for fun on a Saturday night, it’s tied to ceremony, storytelling, and resistance, with forms like Sabar in Senegal or Kpanlogo in Ghana reflecting centuries of cultural memory through movement.
These aren't just workouts: they're social codes, memory, and identity.
Environmental factors shape how movement happens too. In cities like Tokyo, where space is at a premium, fitness often happens in small studios or public parks. In Middle Eastern countries where temperatures soar, outdoor exercise shifts to early mornings or late evenings and indoor group fitness booms. In highly urbanised or heat-struck areas like Bangkok, Manila, or Dubai, gyms aren’t just a convenience, they’re an essential part of the fitness ecosystem.
In Australia, especially among urban coastal dwellers, there’s a particular movement culture forming around Pilates, barre, and functional training, often blended with wellness rituals and boutique studio culture. It’s not just about exercise; it’s about lifestyle. It’s exercise that matches an aesthetic, a mindset, and a climate. On the flip side, in New Zealand or parts of Canada, nature shapes movement more viscerally: trail running, hiking, cold water plunges. Movement there is wild and uncontained.
The appetite for this kind of connection has helped fuel the rise of ‘active travel.’ There are now travel companies built specifically around the idea that exercise is part of the itinerary. Think cycling through Provence, surfing retreats in Sri Lanka, or yoga-and-hike combos in Patagonia. But you don’t have to book an active tour to experience this. Local forms of movement, whether it’s a Muay Thai class in Chiang Mai or beachside dance aerobics in Dakar, are often open to everyone, visitors included. You just need to know where to look, and to be willing to try.
And then there’s walking.
The most underrated, overlooked, and elite form of movement there is. It’s not flashy, it doesn’t trend on social media, and it doesn’t require gear or skill. But it’s the best way to explore a destination, whether you’re winding through laneways in Kyoto, pacing up a mountain in Peru, or getting lost in the souks of Marrakech. Walking lets you notice. It slows you down just enough to connect. With the city, and with yourself.
So yes, movement looks different everywhere - but in that difference is the beauty. To travel is to move. And to move is to remember that your body is part of the experience.
