Nutritious Movement

07/24/2025

What to Do When Rucking, Or Carrying Heavy Loads, Hurts

On Move Your DNA episode 185, biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram talk about rucking—walking with weight on your back—and other modes of carrying. They touch on the evolutionary history of carrying, carrying in modern Hunter Gatherer populations, rucking in the military and the benefits of fitness rucking.

Jeannette and Katy focus on the challenges associated with rucking particularly pain and discomfort. They explain how different body adjustments—like leaning forward, arching the back, or shifting the hips forward—are responses to offset the backward-pulling force of a heavy load. These shifts help accommodate the extra mass, but if a single adjustment is done repetitively or without muscular support through the core, pain can be the result.

Discover a more varied and mindful approach to managing your ruck; your low back will thank you! Listen or read here or wherever you get your podcasts: nutritiousmovement.com/articles/what-to-do-when-rucking-or-carrying-heavy-loads-ep-185

07/15/2025

False dichotomy: If you’re not keeping up to date on your social media feed, you’re burying your head in the sand.

You can stay informed in a way that helps you take compassionate action. My “I Know I Should Exercise, But...” co-author Diana Hill and I just did an interview with NPR LifeKit on how to retrain your brain to prompt you to move, even when stepping away from scrolling becomes so difficult.

This is a Venn diagram of the approach that’s working for my mind and body.

From the episode:

BOWMAN: There’s a lot going on right now, and I think of movement as a way to sort of masticate some of the information coming in. If I sit still and I eat a lot of food, I’m not going to feel as good as if I eat a lot of food and then take a walk afterwards. It just helps me digest. And so I have just found that the Venn diagram of my values of both staying connected and informed and staying moving, the radio podcast show is a really nice way to get outside and make me actually a better container of not only receiving information but figuring out how I’m going to take action after I hear what I hear.

SEGARRA: It’s just a reminder, too, that we’re allowed to care about more than one thing at a time, and you’re allowed to care about your own body, your own self, your own health and the world at large. And, in fact, to help the world at large, you need to also take care of yourself.

Listen to the episode: npr.org/2025/04/13/g-s1-59848/sitting-scrolling-screens-brain-exercise-habit

If you haven’t read “I Know I Should Exercise, But...” check that book out too!

07/14/2025

If you're feeling like scrolling is keeping you from the movement you need, but you're also afraid to step away should you miss important news, Dr. Diana Hill and I talked with the LifeKit team at NPR about steps you can take (sometimes literally).
Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts:

Oftentimes, it's easier to scroll through our phones than do some squats. So what can we do to motivate ourselves to pick movement? In this episode of Life Kit, we speak with clinical psychologist Diana Hill and movement specialist Katy Bowman about how to retrain your brain to crave physical activi...

07/01/2025

"Now, gardeners already move a lot, and we all know that physical activity is great for our bodies. But ask any grower and they’ll tell you that their bodies don’t necessarily feel better after a long day spent laboring—they often feel stiff, and over time can even become injured after doing the same movements over and over again."

If your gardening muscles need a little TLC, I've paired a stretch for each tool or position you're likely to be using. Share with your favorite grower!

Read more, including instructions for each exercise, here: nutritiousmovement.com/articles/sore-after-gardening-simple-stretches-for-stiff-parts

06/12/2025

New Move Your DNA podcast episode just dropped. We cover "movement in the news" headlines: where a new "muscle memory" has been found, changing guidelines for baby developmental milestones, and when it comes to running, "is steeper cheaper?" Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://nutritiousmovement.com/articles/muscle-memory-other-movement-news-ep-182

06/04/2025

Eccentric exercise in The New York Times today! I was interviewed for this piece and included the way I like to use eccentrics: to work on moves you're not strong enough for yet!

nytimes.com/2025/06/04/well/move/eccentric-exercises-workouts.html?unlocked_article_code=1.MU8.72ru.9Wa-_QjMELff&smid=url-share

And if you want to try getting stronger doing half of an exercise, find instructions for Half a Core, Half an Upper Body and Half a Lower Body exercise here:

nutritiousmovement.com/articles/get-stronger-doing-half-of-an-exercise

Focusing on eccentric exercises — where muscles extend rather than contract — builds more strength and muscle while also buttressing your tendons.

05/28/2025

There's a lot of talk out there about bone, trying to identify the (oftentimes single) best MODE of EXERCISE. But when it comes to bone tissue and total skeletal function—whether you're talking developing bones in children or vulnerable (osteopenia/osteoporotic bone) IT'S NOT THE MODE, IT'S THE LOAD.

Biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram and I break down bone (get it?) over two hour-long Move Your DNA podcast episodes, the second episode just out today. Go have a listen to both (Move Your DNA Ep. 180 & 181) -- you can learn on the move! Listen below or wherever you get your podcasts!

Your Skeleton Is An Autobiography: nutritiousmovement.com/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-bone-1-your-skeleton-is-an-autobiography-ep-180

It's Not The Mode, It's The Load:
nutritiousmovement.com/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-bone-2-its-not-the-mode-its-the-load-ep-181

04/29/2025

NEW CLASS SET: Pelvic Floor Week is now in our Virtual Studio!

Five one-hour classes to help with:

-pelvic weakness
-excess tension
-core/pelvic floor coordination
-deep hip work + gait
-period cramps

If you haven’t seen it yet, our new and improved Virtual Studio is BETTER THAN EVER!

We have:

-a totally new user interface—better organization, searchability, all-the-filters, bookmarks, and more!
-200+ classes, covering the entire body, toes-to-head!
-a FREE WEEK trial, even former studio members!
-monthly live Q&A with me

Our Virtual Studio is the most cost-effective way to work on your whole body, part by part, from the comfort of your own home. Try it for a free week today: nutritiousmovement.com/virtual-studio-membership

04/22/2025

Aging is for EVERY body, and movement is a powerful ally in aging dynamically.

Come build your movement toolbox with me at a 3-day "Dynamic Aging" retreat at the Art of Living Center in North Carolina this October!

We can’t stop time, but we can transform how we move through it. Dynamic Aging is a retreat designed to help you care for your body with movement—no matter your age. We’ll be working on:

-Enhancing balance and stability
-Building functional strength
-Boosting confidence in your movement competence
-Techniques to relieve foot, knee, and hip pain
-Stacking movement with community, nature, and things you find meaningful
-Improving flexibility and learning to care for your spine

Add life to your years!

Ready to feel stronger, balanced, and full of energy? Join renowned biomechanist Katy Bowman at The Art of Living Retreat Center and discover simple, effective ways to move better, reduce pain, and bring vitality back into your life. Start living with more confidence and joy—every single day.

04/14/2025

How can you train your brain to crave movement more than scrolling time, especially when you know scrolling is making you feel bad? Diana Hill and I weigh in for NPR.

If you're finding yourself glued to your phone these days, scrolling the news, here's how to change your habits and get moving instead.

03/31/2025

If motivation to exercise is undermined by this internal thought about it being selfish, read this excerpt from my new book with psychologist Dr. Diana Hill featured on Psychology Today!

Physical activity can be done selfishly or self-compassionately, depending on its impact on others.

03/27/2025

New podcast episode on hypermobility, proprioception and building up a bendy body with Libby Hinsley PT, C-IAYT For those with bendy bodies, those that work with bendy bodies or those that teach group movement---give this episode a read or listen, using the link below or wherever you get your podcasts! https://nutritiousmovement.com/articles/hypermobility-proprioception-and-building-up-a-bendy-body-podcast-episode-177