Move Your DNA with Katy Bowman

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 age. In this framework, joy is not simple happiness, but a deeper sense of wellbeing that can coexist with challenge, grief, and change.
Katy and Dr. Burnight explore the Joyspan Matrix—Give, Connect, Adapt, and Grow—and how these actions enable us to thrive as we age. Rather than viewing aging as inevitable decline they discuss aging as development, the positives of aging and how to step into eldership.
Katy also speaks with our sponsor, Sohail Shariff of Movemate, creators of a unique dynamic wooden standing board that provides continuous, wave-like movement in the body while you are working at your desk or at home.
They discuss how the board supports musculoskeletal health, while also improving focus, creativity, and calm—reducing fatigue and the mental boredom and stagnation that comes from prolonged stillness. They also explore the role of play in the design, and how a serious problem—sedentary behavior—can be addressed in a way that is engaging, enjoyable, and even joyful.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

00:00 – Lifespan, Healthspan… and Joyspan
01:20 – Dynamic Collective Sponsors
02:30 – Dr Kerry Burnight Explains Joyspan: The Science of Thriving As You Age
09:40 – The Joyspan Matrix: Grow, Connect, Adapt, Give
19:30 – Giving, Purpose & Becoming an Elder (Rethinking Aging)
42:00 – Meet Movemate: A Dynamic Standing Board for Work and Play
46:00 – How Movemate Works: Movement, Feeling & Physical Benefits
49:15 – Cognitive & Emotional Effects of the Movemate Board
54:00 – Play & Solving Sedentary Behavior With Enjoyable Movement Tools
1:05:20 – Listener question: resolving amenorrhea, sponsored by Ikaria Design 

Books, Links and Resources:

Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half – Dr Kerry Burnight
 About Dr Kerry Burnight (gerontologist, author of Joyspan)
 Dr Kerry Burnight on Instagram

Movemate – Dynamic Active Standing Board for Work & Play
Movemate on Instagram

Connect, Move & Learn:
Join Our Newsletter: Movement Colored Glasses
Follow Katy on Substack
Try Katy's Virtual Studio Free for 7 days!
Made Possible By Our Wonderful Sponsors:
.
Peluva: Five-toe minimalist shoes that move like you do—take 10% off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
Smart Playrooms: Beautiful playroom design and movement-rich equipment—save 10% on monkey bars and rock-wall items with code DNA10
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs that encourage dynamic sitting
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10

Thoughts/questions email us at [email protected]
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits

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 fall on the spectrum of pre-frailty.
The conversation also explores the muscle–gut connection, explaining how frailty is influenced by exercise, diet, and the health of your microbiome. Katy and Jeannette also discuss the potential for rapid-onset frailty linked to the use of GLP-1 medications.
Most importantly, frailty can be reversed and this episode focuses on what you can do. From simple ways to improve resilience through movement, nutrition, and rest, to understanding how your attitude toward aging might influence your resilience
Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

00:00 – Intro + Sponsors  
01:30 – What Is Frailty (and Pre-Frailty)  
03:00 – The 5 Hallmarks of Frailty  
10:50 – How Pre-Frailty Can Start in Your 30s  
12:40 – Muscle–Gut Connection & the Microbiome  
19:40 – Exercise as “Fuel” for Your Microbiome  
27:30 – Supplementation and the Psychology of Change  
29:50 – GLP-1 Medication & Rapid-Onset Frailty  
42:20 – Listener Question: Finding Glute Strength (Sponsored by Peluva)

Resources and Books Mentioned:

Joyspan by Kerry Burnight 
Frailty Sets In Far Earlier Than You’d Expect But You Can Reverse It, by David Cox in the New Scientist 
Frailty and pre-frailty in middle-aged and older adults and its association with multimorbidity and mortality: a prospective analysis of 493 737 biobank participants by Hanlon et al 2018
Evidence For The Contribution Of Gut Microbiota To Age-Related Anabolic Resistance by Watson et al 2021
Semaglutide Therapy and Accelerated Sarcopenia in Older Adults With Type-2 Diabetes: A 24-Month Retrospective Cohort Study by Ren et al 2025

Connect, Move & Learn:
Join Our Newsletter: Movement Colored Glasses
Follow Katy on Substack
Try Katy's Virtual Studio Free for 7 days!
Made Possible By Our Wonderful Sponsors:
.
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs that encourage dynamic sitting
Peluva: Five-toe minimalist shoes that move like you do—take 10% off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT
Smart Playrooms: Beautiful playroom design and movement-rich equipment—save 10% on monkey bars and rock-wall items with code DNA10
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.

Thoughts/questions email us at [email protected]
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits

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 Essential for Living, a curriculum designed for those with learning difficulties. Through her work, Kristina teaches an event-based approach to learning—one that moves away from abstract, isolated skills and instead “stacks” goals within meaningful, naturally occurring events. This approach supports not only skill development, but also health, social inclusion, and caregiver sustainability.
Together, they discuss the importance of choosing activities that are meaningful to the learner both in the moment and for future independence, and the shift from instructing a task to modeling it alongside the student. Kristina also shares how powerful movement stacking has been in her work, improving both the happiness and wellbeing of the people she supports.
This episode is a powerful reminder that movement truly is for every body, and that by embedding it into daily life, caregiving, parenting, and teaching can become more sustainable, and joyful for everyone involved.
Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript
00:00 – A Letter from a Parent of an Autistic Son
04:50 – Movement & Disability: Movement is for Every Body
07:57 – Podcast Sponsors
09:44 – Introduction to Kristina Montgomery
14:00 – Essential for Living: Life Skills Curriculum
15:58 – What Are Functional Life Skills?
19:45 – Movement, Health, and Wellness in Special Education
23:05 – What and Why is Movement Stacking?
37:00 – Designing Environments to Promote Movement and Education
44:12 – Event-Based Teaching Course
53:46 – Listener Question: Balance Training with a Sore Knee
Resources, Books and Courses  Mentioned:

Kristina Montgomery
Learn more about Kristina and her work in special education and behavior analysis.
Event-Based Learning Course (Essential for Living)
A practical course on designing special education goals using event-based learning and movement stacking.
Includes 20% discount for listeners.
Essential for Living: Introduction Course
An overview of the Essential for Living curriculum and its core principles.
Includes 20% discount for listeners.
Grow Wild Book Club – Katy Bowman
A free book club for therapists and parents of neurodivergent children.

Connect, Move & Learn:
Join Our Newsletter: Movement Colored Glasses
Follow Katy on Substack
Try Katy's Virtual Studio Free for 7 days!
Made Possible By Our Wonderful Sponsors:
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs that encourage dynamic sitting.
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA.
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10.
Smart Playrooms: Beautiful playroom design and movement-rich equipment—save 10% on monkey bars and rock-wall items with code DNA10.
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
Peluva: Five-toe minimalist shoes that move like you do—take 10% off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT

Thoughts/questions email us at [email protected]
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits

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-term bone density, cardiovascular health, and performance. They also discuss the original concept of the Female Athlete Triad (low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density) and its evolution into RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), a more holistic model encompassing many aspects of health and wellbeing.
The conversation expands into evolutionary perspectives, comparing Western menstrual experiences—from menarche to menopause—with those of hunter-gatherer populations like the Hadza, and questioning what “normal” really means. Ultimately, this episode reframes intense athletics as a nuanced practice that must be supported by adequate nutrition and recovery.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

00:00 – Intro & Sponsors
02:45 – What Is Amenorrhea?
05:40 – Primary vs Secondary Amenorrhea
09:00 – Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA): Energy deficiency and hormonal suppression
11:10 – Female Athlete Triad → RED-S: Evolution of understanding in sports science
21:30 – The Hadza perspective: menarche to menopause
25:25 – Negative consequences of amenorrhea: Bone Health  
29:15 – IUD induced amenorrhea 
37:00 – Historical and modern timelines for menarche compared to the Hadza 
50:45 – Closing thoughts on ancient humans 
Links & Research Mentioned:

Substack article that prompted this episode 
Dr Jen Gunter’s article on the hormonal IUD and bone health 
Foraging & Menstruation in the Hadza of Tanzania 
Comparison between The Female Athlete Triad & RED-S

Connect, Move & Learn:
Join Our Newsletter: Movement Colored Glasses
Follow Katy on Substack
Try Katy's Virtual Studio Free for 7 days!
Made Possible By Our Wonderful Sponsors:
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10.
Smart Playrooms: Beautiful playroom design and movement-rich equipment—save 10% on monkey bars and rock-wall items with code DNA10.
Peluva: Five-toe minimalist shoes that move like you do—take 10% off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA.
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs that encourage dynamic sitting.

Thoughts/questions email us at [email protected]
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits

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 to fit short bursts of higher-intensity movement into your day, from running stairs and kitchen dance parties to treading water in a pool.
The episode also explores a personal experience related to the menopause transition, including the onset of salt sensitivity, water retention, and hypertension. Katy and Jeannette discuss the link between estrogen and salt management, explaining why the loss of estrogen can make women more susceptible to salt-induced high blood pressure—and what lifestyle shifts can help protect heart health.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript
00:00 — Introduction & Sponsors
01:50 — Heart Health and Midlife Movement
03:45 — What Counts as Vigorous Exercise?
07:00 — How Much Vigorous Do We Actually Need? Insights from the Hadza 
12:30 — Nine Minutes of Vigorous Movement: Practical Ideas to fit into your life
25:00 — Listener Question: Vigorous Movement in the Pool
36:20 — Warming Up for Vigorous Movement Snacks 
41:30 — Salt Sensitivity, Menopause & Blood Pressure

Links & Research Mentioned:

Physical Activity Patterns and Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Hunter Gatherers  by Raichlen et al (2017) 
Lifestyle and Patterns of Physical Activity in Hadza Foragers by Sayre et al (2023)
Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality by Stamatakis et al (2022) 
Postmenopausal Salt Sensitivity and Hypertension by Kim et al (2014)
Estrogen negatively regulates the renal epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) by promoting Derlin-1 expression and AMPK activation by Zhang et al (2019) 
Salt Sensitivity of Blood Pressure in Women by Barris et al (2023)

Connect, Move & Learn:
Join Our Newsletter: Movement Colored Glasses
Follow Katy on Substack
Try Katy's Virtual Studio Free for 7 days!
Made Possible By Our Wonderful Sponsors:
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
Peluva: Five-toe minimalist shoes that move like you do—take 10% off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA.
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs that encourage dynamic sitting.
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10.
Smart Playrooms: Beautiful playroom design and movement-rich equipment—save 10% on monkey bars and rock-wall items with code DNA10.
Thoughts/questions email us at [email protected]
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits