Move Your DNA with Katy Bowman

What if one simple cue could change the way you walk? In this episode, Katy introduces movement mantras—easy-to-remember prompts that help you improve your gait one step at a time. Learn how small changes to posture, arm swing, push-off, foot placement, and even the routes you choose can make walking feel stronger, smoother, and more comfortable. Plus, Katy and Jeannette talk with the team behind...

Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram unpack emerging research on heart disease, inflammation, cholesterol, and arterial plaque. Inspired by a recent Scientific American article, they explore what plaque is, how and why it forms, and how blood flow patterns influence where plaque accumulates in the arteries. They discuss recent evidence that places inflammation as a foundation...

This is the Men’s Health episode in honour of Father’s Day this month. Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr Jeannette Loram discuss health issues more common in male bodies, including abdominal aortic aneurysms, type 2 diabetes, gout, and male pelvic health. Drawing on anatomy, physiology, and lifestyle habits, they explore why men may be more susceptible to these conditions and offer movemen...

Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr Jeannette Loram explore the fascinating world of vibration: the benefits and costs of impact to the body and the importance of sensing vibration in humans and other animals. Katy and Jeannette discuss how foot impacts during walking may actually form part of the brain’s circulatory system. They also unpack the science of vibration plates and whether they a...

Biomechanist Katy Bowman speaks with physical therapist Dr Anietie (Tia) Ukpe-Wallace about pelvic health, movement, and self-care. They discuss Tia’s recent book, Tending To Your Womb , a guide to caring for the uterus and pelvic tissues through awareness, movement, and practical self-care strategies. In this episode, Katy and Tia focus on movement-based approaches for uterine retroversion, a pel...

Biomechanist Katy Bowman speaks with gerontologist and author Dr. Kerry Burnight about her concept of joyspan—a missing piece in how we think about aging well. We often hear about lifespan (how long we live) and healthspan (how long we stay physically well), but what about the quality of those years? Dr. Burnight introduces joyspan as our capacity to experience a meaningful, fulfilling life as we...

Frailty isn’t just something that happens “later”; it’s a gradual loss of resilience that can begin much earlier than most people think. Katy Bowman and Dr. Jeannette Loram unpack what frailty and pre-frailty mean biologically. They explore the five key hallmarks used to identify frailty, including walking speed and grip strength, and how a large proportion of people in their 30s and 40s already f...

Inspired by a moving letter from a parent of an adult son with autism, biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram explore the relationship between movement, health, and quality of life for people with disabilities. They are joined by Kristina Montgomery, a special education teacher at a school for children and young adults affected by autism, and a behavior analyst working with Ess...

We dive into the often-overlooked topic of amenorrhea: the absence of menstruation. Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram unpack the science with a focus on Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA) linked to energy deficiency in athletes. They explore how intense training and and sport pressures around leanness or weight can disrupt regular hormonal signals, affecting long-ter...

Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram explain how just nine minutes of vigorous activity can make a measurable difference for your cardiovascular health. They break down what counts as vigorous exercise, how to gauge it “old skool” without complicated gadgets, and how much is needed based on the movement patterns of the heart-healthy Hadza. Plus, they share nine practical ways...

Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram explore the prevalence and underlying causes of knee issues, from popping and noisy knees to everyday pain and osteoarthritis. The knee is not just a simple hinge, and Katy explains its anatomy using a helpful “cube” model that includes bones, ligaments, cartilage, and the meniscus. Together, they clarify the difference between osteoarthri...

Set yourself up for success: how to create a sustainable movement plan. We walk through their own real-life movement plans to explore the three things every movement plan needs: a clear focus, a small set of daily “ride-or-die” exercises linked to that focus, and movement integrated across the many domains of life—not just exercise. This episode offers a practical, honest look at how to build a su...

How cold affects muscles, blood flow, and cardiovascular risk—plus practical ways to keep moving safely indoors and out.  Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram explore how cold air and cold water affect muscle function, blood flow, heart rate, and blood pressure during exercise. They unpack how vasoconstriction increases cardiovascular demand, and why activities like snow shov...

As we wrap up 2025, we’re doing a shortened version of our annual recap—part reflection, part intention. Katy and Jeannette share their biggest movement wins, smartest health decisions, and one-word themes for the year, then look ahead to what they’re prioritizing in 2026 (strength, power, simplicity, and efficiency).  Then we distill the past year’s episodes into a clear set of movement rules for...

Katy offers an aging reframe: in middle age, you are not “over the hill”—you are actually at the bottom of a valley, and staying strong and healthy means choosing to go uphill on purpose. Katy and Jeannette unpack the difference between chronological age and biological aging, why modern life may be speeding up the aging process, and how movement and exercise positively influence the cellular “hall...

Katy & Jeannette dive into the question: can movement really change your DNA? Using clear analogies—like libraries, recipes, and sticky notes—they unpack what DNA is, how gene expression works, and what we really mean by epigenetics (the “on top of” changes that influence which genes get used). They explore how exercise can turn the “volume up or down” on metabolic genes , pro-inflammatory mar...

Katy and Jeannette explore why proper recovery is just as important as your workouts . They explain how short-term recovery between repetitions or intervals restores homeostasis —the steady state of your cells—allowing you to continue a training session effectively. Over the longer term, recovery after vigorous activity supports tissue repair and adaptation , helping your muscles and connective ti...

What does it mean to raise — or be — a “spicy one”? In this deeply honest and energizing conversation, Katy Bowman and author Mary Van Geffen unpack what it’s like to parent strong-willed, big-feeling kids (and stay sane while doing it). They discuss how movement can support self-regulation and co-regulation, helping both parent and child navigate intensity with compassion and humor. Together, the...

I don’t have time to exercise.” Sound familiar? In this episode, Katy Bowman talks with clinical psychologist and author Dr. Diana Hill about one of the most common barriers to movement—and why it’s really an issue of energy management and prioritization , not time. Drawing from her books Wise Effort and I Know I Should Exercise, But... Dr. Hill shares how recognizing “choice points” throughout yo...

As we age, maintaining muscle power—not just strength—is key to staying independent, quick, and injury-free. In this episode, Katy and Jeannette explain the difference between strength and power, and why adding speed or intensity to the movements you're already doing—like walking, climbing stairs, or getting up from a chair—can make all the difference. From stair climbing to pickleball to plyometr...

Katy Bowman and Jeannette Loram dig into the science—and the hype—around so-called “exercise pills.” They unpack what these drugs do at the molecular level, what they can—and can’t—mimic about exercise, and who might benefit—from elite athletes to people with disabilities or chronic illness.  The conversation goes beyond physiology into questions of culture, psychology, and even the future of spor...

Katy Bowman and Jeannette Loram explore skin strength, focusing on what a callus is, how calluses form on the hands and feet, and how it affects circulation. They also discuss the pros and cons of calluses, comparing them to a weight belt for your skin—reinforcing, protecting, and ultimately enabling your body to do more. They share personal stories—from rowing and kayaking to gardening—highlighti...

In this episode, Katy Bowman and Jeannette Loram dive into the fascinating relationship between blood sugar, diet, and movement. They unpack how the body regulates blood sugar, what happens when this process breaks down in Type I and Type II diabetes, and why different kinds of activity play such a big role in prevention and management. Katy and Jeannette explain how contracting muscles can pull g...

Neuro-optometrist Dr. Appelbaum breaks down the crucial difference between eyesight—what you can see—and vision—how your brain interprets what you see and turns it into action. Together, they explore the striking parallels between physical and visual health, highlighting how prolonged screen time and visual inactivity can stiffen our eye muscles just like sedentary habits stiffen our joints. Focus...

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....