Move Your DNA with Katy Bowman

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 plyometrics, learn practical ways ...

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 sport—where performance-enhanci...

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—highlighting how it's often skin, not...

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 glucose directly into workin...

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. Focusing on screens all day is ...

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 differe...

How you get dressed might be impacting the way that you move or the movement choices you are able to make. 

Katy Bowman and Jeannette Loram highlight how stiff or excessively baggy clothing might be ‘casting’ movement. On the flip side ‘stabilizing’ wear like well-designed bras and compressive garments can make movement more comfortable for certain activities. Katy offers advice on how to dress for multiple scenarios: t...

If you have heard about eccentric exercise but are unsure of the benefits, what it is or how to do it, this episode is your primer! 

Eccentric muscle contractions generate more force with less energy than other types of muscle contraction and are therefore one of the best ways to get stronger. The mechanism of eccentric contraction within the muscle is a little complicated but Katy offers a simple analogy involving two ...

A deeper look into three recent headlines in the body-nerd world. First up, recent research has shown that our skeletal muscles remember training at the protein level - no brain required! This is exciting research and Katy and Jeannette discuss the implications for exercise over the lifespan. Second, they dig into a recent study of uphill walking; the research suggests it is cheaper to take the steeper route, but energy ef...

In this episode, we break down the best approach to taking care of your bones using a government framework: Strong, Steady and Straight. We use this framework to discuss exercise and bone loading at three life-stages: a growing skeleton, a mature skeleton and a vulnerable skeleton. Listen to this episode to design a movement plan for your bones.

Also in this episode, Katy Bowman talks to Mike Dally, founder of Earth Runners...

This is the first of two episodes on bone. In this first episode biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram place bone tissue health into a wider context; what really matters is how well the entire skeleton is working—as a system—to support our bodies and our movement. 

Katy and Jeannette explain how the status of the bone in different parts of your skeleton is a record of the movement you have—and have not ...

Inspired by a listener's letter, biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram talk about exercise and sport and how these relate to natural movement. They discuss how Katy’s message has sometimes been reduced to exercise is ‘bad’ and natural movement is ‘better’.

Katy explains that this has never been her position; rather her aim has been to challenge the assumption that the only way to move our bodies is through ...

Katy Bowman and Jeannette Loram kick this episode off with a conversation about British walking idioms and nature-based language. They are then joined by Mark Sisson, author, former distance runner and founder of the minimal shoe company Peluva. Mark, Katy and Jeannette talk about human evolutionary history, walking, health and Mark’s latest book Born to Walk. They discuss how running has become the iconic fitness activity...

We discuss movement for the bendy body with guest Dr Libby Hinsley, a doctor of physical therapy specializing in the treatment of hypermobility syndromes and chronic pain. Libby shares her personal and professional journey with hypermobility explaining what hypermobility is and the associated symptoms. Libby, Katy and Jeannette discuss the paradox that bendy bodies have large ranges of motion yet tense muscles and how a se...

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, str...

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 wel...

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...

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 ...

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 hunte...