Katy Says With Katy Bowman

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --This Episode's Show Notes Join Our Newsletter: Movement Colored GlassesKaty’s Virtual Studio - Try it Free for 7 Days! Are you confused by all the social media messaging about muscle mass and strength training? Join us for this beefy episode all about muscle! Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram discuss the clinical term sarcopenia– age-related muscle decline–and distinguish it from muscle atrophy due to disuse and sedentary lifestyles. Katy and Jeannette tease apart the different elements of muscle decline; mass, strength and function. They debate how each of these can be measured and their importance. Their discussion centers on a listener's question seeking to understand what we should be doing physically to prevent muscle loss. Also in this episode, Katy has a conversation with Tyler Benner of Venn Design, a company creating dynamic seating fo

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --View This Episode's Show NotesJoin Our Newsletter: Movement Colored GlassesKaty’s Virtual StudioThis is a special episode with two features and several guests! In the first feature, biomechanist Katy Bowman is joined by psychologists Dr Diana Hill and Dr Kelly McGonigal. Katy and Diana have co-written a new book I know I should Exercise But… 44 Reasons We Don’t Move and How to Get Over Them and they came together with Kelly, author of the The Joy of Movement, to talk about personal obstacles to movement, movement frameworks & vocabulary and how to find your ‘movement genius’. In our second feature Katy welcomes author and masters athlete Brad Kearns, to talk about the minimalist five-toed shoe company Peluva, one of our podcast sponsors. Brad shares the early history of the company and how you go about making a minimalist shoe. Katy and Brad discuss the niche t

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --View This Episode's Show Notes Join Our Newsletter: Movement Colored GlassesKaty’s Virtual Studio Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram discuss Matters of the Heart. They cover the anatomy, tissues and function of the cardiovascular system, highlighting key concepts of heart health that are underappreciated. They discuss the importance of the flexibility of red blood cells, arterial walls and the heart muscle itself. They also explain the vital role of skeletal muscle contraction in healthy circulation. Muscle contraction during exercise not only assists the return of blood to the heart from the extremities, it is also the signal for blood vessels near working muscles to dilate or widen ‘pulling’ blood from arteries into the tissues. Katy and Jeannette talk about a movement diet to support the cardiovascular system. They emphasize the importance of

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --View This Episode’s Show Notes Join Our Newsletter: Movement Colored Glasses Katy’s Virtual Studio In recent years there has been significant backlash against the idea that posture is related to good health. Join biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram for a philosophical, historical and biological journey into the controversies around posture. Katy and Jeannette discuss whether posture is really a thing; is ‘good’ posture important or does your body work just fine regardless of how you hold it? Have we simply inherited postural ideals that are remnants of cultural, social and political baggage? Katy and Jeannette tease this out by discussing definitions of posture, the history of postural ideals and the difficulty in relating pain to posture. They turn to extreme examples of posture and Katy’s work in alignment to offer a more nuanced perspective on

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram, discusses a recent study on sitting time, standing time and circulatory risk. They cut through the media hype and explain what the study shows and why any prolonged static position might have health consequences. Katy and Jeannette contrast our cultural norm of being in the same position for many hours a day with the diverse resting positions of the Hadza, a hunter-gatherer group with low cardiovascular risk but also a large amount of rest time. Katy explains how repetitive positioning generates higher pressure in specific locations in our circulatory system setting us up for injury, whereas varied positioning and light movement keeps the cardiovascular system supple and the pressure distributed throughout our system.  Jeannette and Katy touch on other issues to do with repetitive positioning including mobilit

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --On this episode Katy and Jeannette continue the Move Your DNA annual tradition of reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the next. Through a series of questions Katy and Jeannette reflect on 2024, discuss movement goals for 2025, and invite you to play along. They explore moving through injury, menopause and how to keep progressing with age. They share their plans for 2025 and Katy provides novel strategies to help us all MOVE towards the goals we have for ourselves and our families. 

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman talks to biologist Jeannette Loram about the importance of head and neck movement. This year, Katy’s annual exercise advent offers 24 moves for the head and neck and Katy explains her personal and professional reasons for choosing this theme.  Jeannette and Katy discuss the head and neck as a hub for our sensory, nervous, immune, digestive and vestibular systems, all of which require movement to support their functions. They discuss common issues of the head and neck region, as well as how repetitive head positioning and neck immobility can relate to broader experiences in the body, such as Katy’s discovery of a decrease in her height that she is working to reverse. They discuss the basic movements of the head and neck and also cover the structures of the region including a neck anatomy lesson provided by their favourite 1970s musical ‘Grea

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman talks to biologist Jeannette Loram about dog movement. This discussion stemmed from witnessing a balance ball therapy session for dogs. Just like modern humans, modern dogs now require physical therapy. In this episode, Katy and Jeannette discuss how to use Katy’s ‘movement nutrition’ framework and apply it to your furry friends. Katy and Jeannette discuss the evolution of dogs and the difference in movement experience between free-ranging ancestral dogs compared with today’s urban canines. They discuss how human-chosen pacing is not necessarily the most comfortable for dogs since their most efficient gait pattern is a trot, not a walk. They discuss the importance of meaningful movement for a dog, emphasizing the importance of smell and play as ‘command-free’ movement. They also talk about the importance of mentoring movement for dogs, espe

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman talks to biologist Jeannette Loram about a recent New York Times article “ Why Sitting All Day May Shorten Your Life”. Katy was a source for this article and she talks with Jeannette about the journalistic process, and why the short-form might be letting us down.Katy and Jeannette talk about the benefits of sitting as well as the risks associated with uninterrupted hours in a chair. They discuss sitting as a two-part issue; first the inactivity and second the fixed body geometry. Katy and Jeannette discuss recent research showing that long hours of sitting are associated with a more rapid rate of cellular aging and how many experiences we put down to aging: muscle and bone loss, low energy levels and low back pain are really influenced by how much we sit.Katy and Jeannette critique the recommendation to offset hours in a chair by increasing

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman talks to biologist Jeannette Loram about her recent multi-day hike across England. Katy, with her sister Mary, walked from east coast to west coast along the length of Hadrian’s Wall. Katy and Jeannette talk about Katy’s physical preparation for the walk; the (four pairs!) of shoes Katy selected and when she used them; the changing terrain and gait patterns she adopted and how she felt over the course of the trip. Finally Katy shares her physical and philosophical insights after many days of walking.   

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram talk about coughing. Katy and Jeannette discuss coughing as a life-saving movement; both in the immediate, to prevent choking, and also in the longer term for adequate clearance of the lungs and the health of our airways. They discuss the anatomy and mechanics of a cough, explaining how the mobility, strength and coordination of our core muscles affects the strength of our cough. They discuss postural presentations such as hyperkyphosis and anterior pelvic tilt that can lead to a weaker cough. They also talk about the liabilities of a cough, including abdominal strain, urinary incontinence, rib damage and back pain.They discuss how coughing, like giving birth, is not a movement that we want to practice: ‘use it or lose it’ does not apply in this case! Instead we want to make sure that tension or weakness in our

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram discuss gait and question whether there is a ‘right’ way to walk. They explain the mechanics of walking gait, outlining the phases and shapes that each leg and foot should move through during the gait cycle. They propose that an ‘abnormal’ gait would be one that is missing one of these phases or shapes. They also suggest a framework for assessing walking based on efficiency, symmetry and balance. They talk about gait deficits such as shuffling and waddling and what is missing in those gait patterns while acknowledging that we are all individuals and not all gait variation is abnormal or needs to be corrected. Katy suggests we can only get to the heart of this question by considering human movement ecology; particularly the volume we walk, the shoes we walk in and, for most modern humans, the lack of a requireme

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --In this episode, biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram talk about menopause and movement. They discuss menopause as a natural developmental phase that humans share with only a few other highly social marine mammals. They explain the evolution of menopause in relation to the role of grandmothers within human—and whale—societies and also explore the movement diet of postmenopausal women within hunter-gatherer tribes.Katy and Jeannette discuss health concerns that arise around menopause: bone osteoporosis, muscle loss and cardiovascular issues and how movement is key to maintaining those tissues. They speak to the loud media noise around ‘heavy lifting’ and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) as the ways to stay strong. They explain that we absolutely require muscle strengthening and bone loading activity as well as some intense heart and lung mov

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman talks with biologist Jeannette Loram about lung movement.Katy and Jeannette debate whether the lung surfaces are actually outside the body, similar to the tubes of the gut, and discuss how lung movement is not only important for breathing but also for immunity. They discuss the anatomy of our lungs and the mechanics of lung movement and explain how our lungs, just like our hips, have a range of motion that they need to be moved through on a regular basis.They discuss humans as endurance-adapted animals and explain how our ribcage anatomy is adapted for greater lung movement compared with non-endurance animals. They also discuss postural issues such as hyperkyphosis and forward shoulders that can limit our ability to take good breaths.Finally, they touch on some unique breathing scenarios such as high-altitude and aquatic environments.

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram talk all about swimming. They discuss the history of human swimming; whether humans are natural-born swimmers, evidence for swimming in the past and physiological adaptations found in swimming and diving cultures.They discuss the four classic swimming strokes as well as other ways to move in the water and explore the movement macro-and micro-nutrients found in swimming. They talk about joint and bone support and the trade-offs of exercising in buoyant water. They also offer tips for avoiding swimming-related neck and back pain.Finally, Katy and Jeannette touch on the aquatic Olympics and athletic longevity and also share their personal swimming histories and favorite ways of moving through the water.

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram talk with English professor Vybarr Cregan-Reid about books and the body. Katy, Jeannette and Vybarr discuss being ‘rescued’ by books, the value of fiction in developing empathy, reading as a workout for the brain, how literacy may have changed our brain and the current denigration of fiction within education. They debate ideas about the evolution of storytelling and its role within different cultures, whether reading is a high-tech version of storytelling and how oral story differs from written story. They also touch on how writing and reading can be hard on the body and offer some personal tips for offsetting long hours of writing. 

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Following on from our Hiking Poles episode, biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram answer all your other questions about hiking. Katy and Jeannette discuss how to prepare for hiking, walking with a backpack, hiking gear and clothing and how to manage fatigue or pain. They flesh out the functional movements involved in hiking, why downhill can be so hard on the knees and calves and how a backpack changes the loads to your body. Katy also provides a weekly plan of exercises to support hiking and explains how swimming and walking are the perfect movement pair.

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --To Hiking pole, or not to hiking pole, is the question that biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram address in this episode.The use of poles has become a hotly debated topic among hikers and Katy and Jeannette dive in to help explore the issue. They discuss how poles are used in fitness and hiking scenarios, as well as their potential advantages and disadvantages. They specifically get into how the arms and upper body can be used during hiking and explain the mechanics of walking uphill and downhill with poles. They discuss how poles can be useful tools to support balance, decrease fatigue and prevent joint discomfort, but also explain how relying on poles all of the time can leave us missing important movement nutrients and leave some parts of us undertrained.

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram discuss bunions; what they are, how they are created and what to do about them. Inspired by a recent article in National Geographic, they unpack the idea that bunions are a failure of evolution. Rather than being due to a poorly engineered toe, Katy and Jeannette show how bunions are actually created by forces of habit: restrictive footwear and certain walking patterns create forces that push and pull on our big toe and foot with every step we take. Find out how you need to look to the hip, as well as the foot, when working and walking to correct bunions.

For more information on online courses in March 2025:Click here for "Is That Yoga Move Right For You?" And here for "Diastasis Recti and Beyond" --Biomechanist Katy Bowman and Parent Coach Mary Van Geffen talk about “Movement As Regulation” for spicy kids. Independent, non-conformist, neurodivergent and sensitive kids can be particularly thrown off kilter by social and movement restrictions. Mary and Katy discuss the need for these kids to express their feelings in a physical way. They unpack different types of movement, focussing particularly on outdoor play, big-body movement, combative play and controlled destruction, all of which can defuse the intensity of feeling and foster a sense of autonomy.Learn how as a parent, the number one tool in your toolbox is your body; why physical closeness, modelling movement and moving with your kids can support their physical and emotional needs. They give numerous fun examples of games and strategies you can try with the spicy ones® in your life.