After graduating from Fort Lewis College in 2022 with a degree in exercise physiology, fitness coach Charlie Rogers has been on a mission to create community around a simple concept – movement.
“Creating a movement practice from my experience has been the most powerful way to connect with myself and my community,” Rogers said. “Everyone knows that incredible feeling of playing with friends or being part of a tight knit team, but we disconnect from the people around us in adulthood. I think creating community around play and movement is the way back to meaningful relationships and a full life.”
Rogers’ own relationship with sport and activity has been somewhat complicated.
“I’ve struggled a lot with self-worth and over identifying with the activities I spent my time engrossed in,” he said. “Growing up, my first love was lacrosse, but once I realized everyone expected me to be a standout player, it lost all of its playfulness and passion. Part of my journey now is exploring my movement practices from a beginners mind and knowing I’m more than my performance.”
Now, with a newfound mindset around movement as a form of self-care, Rogers is inviting others to join the expedition by participating in a weekly class focused on the culture of movement and the different forms of play that it entails.
“The Durango MVMNT Group is a community built around exploring all kinds of movement disciplines,” Rogers said. “Each week, a teacher in our community shares a practice with the group so we can continue to learn new things and develop our own unique movement practice. It’s amazing how quickly friendships build out of the playful practices.”
Durango MVMNT takes place from 6 to 7 p.m. Fridays in room 24 of the Smiley Building in Durango.
Donations are welcome.
Rogers also hosts a weekly podcast featuring interviews with like-minded instructors to compliment the class.
“The Durango MVMNT Podcast is a space to have deeper conversations with the members of the community to hear and learn from all of the unique perspectives,” he said. “We discuss their movement journey, struggles, successes and lessons along the way.
“The podcast really shines light on everyone’s internal dialogue around who they are with and without their specific practice,” he said. “It’s comforting to know we are all going through these challenges and we can all grow together.”
Rogers also teaches mobility and joint health from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the same Smiley space.
“We all have our hobbies and passions but one thing that I’ve learned is that we need to take care of our joints to ensure we can make these lifelong practices,” Rogers said. “Almost every day I devote time to maintaining the health of my joints, and this class gives you the tools to expand your mobility and work through aches and pains.”
The classes are part of Rogers’ larger vision: a community centered around a positive and inclusive attitude toward health.
“I want to clarify that I’m very much in the beginning phases of my practice and do not have all of the answers,” he said. “That’s exactly why I think this community is so important – to bounce ideas off each other and share our strengths to all grow together.”
For more information, visit https://linktr.ee/dgo_mvmnt.
