Purpose: To (a) present a theoretical framework that describes how learners’ movement habits become relevant in thedevelopment of movement capability and (b) present data that illustrate how this process occurs in practice. Method: Aninvestigation with preservice physical education teachers was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved examiningparticipants’ movement habits, and the second phase involved examining the participants’ development of novel capabilities inthe context of unicycling. Results: Empirical materials from two participants are presented as case studies. The cases demonstratehow different sets of movement habits interact with novel tasks, making the demand for creative action more or less likely. Thecases also demonstrate how subjective and physical elements are interwoven. Finally, the cases provide insights into potentiallyproductive habits for movement learning. Discussion/Conclusion: The paper is concluded with pedagogical implications,including a consideration of how crises might be managed in educational contexts