Katy reads three of her favorite essays from Alignment Matters on feet and foot health, and offers a State of the Minimal Shoe Union address, with lots of tips for transitioning well to minimal shoes. Find out why she cut the feeties off her kids' feetie pyjamas, and why she doesn't recommend flip flops, except for by the pool.

Ep 106: Alignment Matters: Your Feet Through the Years

Although the world is becoming mostly sedentary, our bodies still require a wide variety of daily movements in order to work well. Many of us struggle to get regular exercise, but even that can fall short of nourishing the body from head to toe. How can we move more—a lot more—when we have sore, stiff parts and overly busy lifestyles?

Join Katy Bowman M.S., biomechanist, author, and movement educator as she combines big-picture lessons on biomechanics, kinesiology, physiology, and natural human movement with simple and practical solutions and exercises to get all your body parts moving better. Katy’s lighthearted and funny approach helps us all put the movement back in our lives, and the joy back in our movement!

Alternative Health

Health

Health & Fitness

Clinical psychologist Dr. Diana Hill joins biomechanist Katy Bowman for an enlightening episode about the delicate balance between setting high expectations and practicing self-compassion, particularly in the realms of movement and mindfulness. Discover how recognizing the constant movements in our lives can lead to intentional responses and holistic well-being. From debunking misconceptions to exploring practical exercises, Katy and Diana offer valuable insights into embracing self-compassion in movement and daily life. 

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Join Katy's upcoming movement retreat is May 17–19, at the Art of Living Center in North Carolina—'Healing Your Sole: A Stepwise Approach to Building Forever Functional Feet.' https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/retreat

Ep 154: Self-Compassion as Movement Motivation with Dr. Diana Hill

Dr. Andrea Graves, an animal behavior expert, illuminates the profound significance of movement for animals and humans alike. Through personal anecdotes and scientific insights, Katy and Andrea delve into the essential role of providing enriching environments for animals to express their natural behaviors authentically. From discussing innovative approaches like creating "chicken jungle gyms" to exploring the ethical considerations surrounding AI integration in animal welfare, the conversation underscores the interconnectedness between movement, animal welfare, and environmental enrichment.

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Join Katy's upcoming movement retreat is May 17–19, at the Art of Living Center in North Carolina—'Healing Your Sole: A Stepwise Approach to Building Forever Functional Feet.' https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/retreat

Ep 153: Sedentary Animals w/Dr. Andrea Graves

On this episode of the Move Your DNA podcast, Katy and her special guest Dani Alexander reflect on the past year, discuss movement goals for 2024, and emphasize the importance of choosing a guiding word. They also explore personal experiences with living in walkable communities, navigating perimenopause, and general aging. Looking ahead, they share specific goals and strategies for incorporating more movement into their life - plus they select their new movement theme words for the year.

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Join Katy's upcoming movement retreat is May 17–19, at the Art of Living Center in North Carolina—'Healing Your Sole: A Stepwise Approach to Building Forever Functional Feet.' https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/retreat

Ep 152: How Did You Move? How Will You Move?

Biomechanist Katy Bowman and her occasional co-host, Dani Alexander (an occupational therapist), explore the importance of grip strength for people of all ages. They discuss therapeutic interventions, such as weighted pencils and play-dough, to improve hand strength and sensory input. They also touch on the impact of weak grip strength on daily tasks and emphasize the need to incorporate grip-strengthening activities into everyday routines. Join Katy and Dani as they delve into the connection between grip strength, overall well-being, and maximizing our physical abilities. Episode Overview:
0:00:01 Introduction and mention of previous New York Times features
0:03:31 Recap of a previous podcast episode on grip strength
0:06:18 Concerns about grip strength from a professional perspective
0:08:26 Therapeutic Interventions for Children
0:10:40 Play-Doh for Increasing Intrinsic Hand Strength
0:13:20 Thera Putty as a Therapy Tool for Adults
0:16:04 Importance of Hand Strength in Everyday Life
0:24:05 Creating Playgrounds with Obstacle Courses for Kids
0:27:04 Importance of diversity in hand use and overuse injuries.
0:29:30 The technicality of different hand grips and their importance.
0:30:39 Nourishing the Hands and Feet
0:32:08 Wondering about the absence of someone in the bathroom
0:34:30 Exploring the use of Therapuddy for hand strengthening
0:36:54 Multiple approaches to hand training and arm strength development
0:39:05 Assessing daily hand movements and seeking inspiration from others
0:41:09 Grip Translates to All Finger and Hand Movement
0:42:10 The Importance of Grip Strength in Daily Tasks
0:44:16 Decline in Strength and Its Impact on Therapy Norms
0:45:40 Lowering the Norms: A Frightening Shift in Fitness
0:48:51 The Transcendence of Movement: Beyond Individual Body Parts
0:49:41 A Salute to an Amazing Friendship

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Join Katy's upcoming movement retreat is May 17–19, at the Art of Living Center in North Carolina—'Healing Your Sole: A Stepwise Approach to Building Forever Functional Feet.' https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/retreat

Ep 151: How to Improve Your Grip Strength (and why it matters)

Biomechanist, Katy Bowman and her husband Michael discuss foot injuries as a natural part of life. Sharing their own experiences, they emphasize the need for adjustments in movement patterns and highlight the importance of staying active as we age. They also address the psychological aspects of injury and provide strategies for avoiding future injuries. Overall, the message is to embrace change, prioritize healing, and always listen to your body. Episode Overview:
0:00:01 Welcome to the Move Your DNA podcast
0:00:26 Introduction: Focus on Foot Injuries
0:03:05 Injury as an Adjustment Period in Life Stages
0:10:35 Injury during a sprinting race on the sand
0:20:10 Aging and Decreased Cardiovascular Capability
0:24:12 The Importance of Maintaining Joyful Movement Amidst Injury
0:29:14 Embracing the Valleys: Optimizing for Surviving, Not Just Thriving
0:32:19 Finding Alternatives: Adapting to Injury and Changing Gait
0:37:43 Embracing Change and Moving Forward
0:39:53 The Framework for Troubleshooting Injuries

Ep 106: Alignment Matters: Your Feet Through the Years

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