Move Your DNA with Katy Bowman

Movement isn't just about muscles and joints. It's also about how our bodies are taking in, interpreting and responding to the world around us.
Katy Bowman and Dr. Jeannette Loram discuss how listening can provide valuable information about how we're moving: listening to the sound of your feet landing as you walk, the rhythm and mechanics of rowing, the sound of your stroke as you swim, and even the timing and quality of the breath during exercise can attune you to the form and efficiency of your movement.
The conversation turns to vision with neuro-optometrist Dr. Bryce Appelbaum. Katy and Dr Appelbaum explore the relationship between vision and movement, including how visual information can influence balance, spatial orientation and confidence when navigating complex environments. They discuss how our ability to perceive the physical world can be diminished by prolonged, narrow focus on our screens, and how menopause can make visually demanding tasks even more overwhelming. Dr. Appelbaum shares some eye exercises to help us take in more of the world around us—improving our visual system and physical competence at the same time.
Finally, Katy and Jeannette answer a listener question about movement programmes for blind people.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript
00:00:00 – Listening to gait
00:04:36 – Dynamic Collective sponsors 
00:06:53 – Putting our senses to work: walking, rowing, swimming and soccer
00:25:29 – Vision is more than eyesight: how vision guides movement
00:30:11 – Screens, peripheral vision & taking in the world
00:48:42 – Vision and menopause: brain fog and overwhelm
00:56:32 – Listener question on movement classes for blind people sponsored by Movemate 

Books, Podcasts & Other Resources
Podcast: Can Exercise Fix Aging Eyes? Ep 186 — Move Your DNA Podcast
Podcast: What’s It Like to Slowly Go Blind? — Search Engine Podcast
Book: An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong
Book: The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland
Book: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 

Connect with Dr. Bryce Appelbaum
My Vision First — Dr. Bryce Appelbaum’s Vision Therapy Clinic
Dr. Bryce Appelbaum on Instagram
ScreenFit™ by Dr. Bryce Appelbaum — take $200 off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT

Connect, Move & Learn with Katy
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:

Earth Runners:  makers of minimalist earthing sandals designed for natural foot movement and connection to the ground— use code DNA10 for 10% off.
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs and floor cushions that encourage dynamic sitting
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable shoe recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA
Freet Barefoot: creators of comfortable barefoot shoes built for natural movement, flexibility, and durability— use code DNA10 for 10% off.
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10
ScreenFit™: a complete online vision training program —take $200 off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT

October Retreats 2026

Katy talks to kids raised in a dynamic, "low-furniture" home that swapped conventional couches for indoor monkey bars and balance toys. How did it go?
Katy and Jeannette also talk about raising dynamic kids as they grow up, including family movement, getting teenagers to participate, and navigating phones and screen time. Then Katy talks to Pack Matthews, creator of the Soul Seat, about his new Fidget Seat designed for children, and how flexible seating can give kids more opportunities to move while they learn and can also help with focus and attention.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript
0:00 — Katy’s dynamic home
2:50 — The Dynamic Collective
5:00 — Katy talks to kids raised in a “low-furniture” home
28:19 — Listener question: Family movement and screen time, sponsored by Earth Runners
44:00 — The Fidget Seat: Helping kids not sit still

Books, Links and Resources:

Grow Wild: The Whole-Child, Whole-Family Nature-Rich Guide to Moving More by Katy Bowman
Grow Wild
A Video Tour of Katy’s Movement-Rich Home
A Home With No Furniture: Interview with Katy Bowman

The Fidget Seat

The Fidget Seat — a movement-first chair for kids designed to let them keep moving while they learn

Use code DNA10 for 10% discount on the Fidget Seat 

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 shoe recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
Freet Barefoot: creators of comfortable barefoot shoes built for natural movement, flexibility, and durability— use code DNA10 for 10% off.
ScreenFit™: a complete online vision training program —take $200 off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs and floor cushions that encourage dynamic sitting
Earth Runners:  makers of minimalist earthing sandals designed for natural foot movement and connection to the ground— use code DNA10 for 10% off.
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10

October Retreats 2026

Cycling is fantastic for cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and getting around—but what happens when it becomes your main form of movement? In this episode, Katy Bowman and Dr. Jeannette Loram explore how cycling shapes the body, from bone health and posture to hip mobility, spinal curves, and pelvic comfort. They discuss why even healthy forms of exercise don't provide every movement nutrient you need, and share practical strategies to help cyclists enjoy the ride while supporting long-term strength, mobility, and resilience.
Plus Katy speaks with Tyler Benner, founder of Strong Feet Athletics, about the role of the feet in cycling and what happens when we lock them into rigid compressive cycling shoes for hours at a time. They explore the benefits of a more foot-shaped, flexible cycling shoe and how allowing the feet more freedom may help support lower limb function both on and off the bike.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

0:22 — Dynamic Collective Sponsors
2:37 — Introduction to Cycling, the Movement Diet, and the Tissues of the Body
5:35 — Bone Density in Cyclists
13:36 — Low Energy Availability in Cyclists: Effects on Hormones and Bones
17:36 — How Your Body Can Become Semi-Fixed in a Cycling Shape
20:04 — Hyperkyphosis and Cervical Issues
25:19 — Pelvic Position and Compression
30:47 — Practical Ways to Balance Cycling
33:22 — Interview with Tyler Benner: The Creator of the First Foot-Shaped Cycling Shoe
56:10 — Listener Question: What Kind of Pillow Should You Sleep On? Sponsored by My Happy Feet

Books, Links and Resources:

Simple Steps to Foot Pain Relief by Katy Bowman
Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman
My Perfect Movement Plan by Katy Bowman
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
Strong Feet Athletics: the first foot-shaped cycling shoe
Anya's Review of Strong Feet Athletics Leviathan cycling shoe

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:
ScreenFit™: a complete online vision training program —take $200 off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable shoe recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA
Earth Runners:  makers of minimalist earthing sandals designed for natural foot movement and connection to the ground— use code DNA10 for 10% off.
Freet Barefoot: creators of comfortable barefoot shoes built for natural movement, flexibility, and durability— use code DNA10 for 10% off.
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs and floor cushions that encourage dynamic sitting
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.

Thoughts/questions email us at podcast@nutritiousmovement.com
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits 

October Retreats 2026

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 Freet Barefoot about walking culture, healthy footwear, and hiking in all kinds of terrain, before answering a listener question on vibration plates and lymphatic drainage.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

0:00 — Intro & encouraging kids to walk
7:15 — Dynamic Collective Sponsors
14:20 — The “Mental Ten” for better walking
15:00 — Movement mantras for posture, arm swing and push-off
18:15 —Vary your route, vary your carry
21:25 — Freet Barefoot and walking culture
23:00 — The story behind Freet Barefoot
31:05 — Multi-day walks, footwear and foot strength
37:50 — Walking culture and ‘Rights to Roam’ in the UK
43:05 — Favourite Freet Barefoot customer testimonials
47:40 — Do Vibration Plates Help Lymph Drainage? (sponsored by ScreenFit™).

Books, Links and Resources:

More about Freet Barefoot
A stepwise course to Walking Well with Katy Bowman & Jill Miller

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:
Earth Runners:  makers of minimalist earthing sandals designed for natural foot movement and connection to the ground— use code DNA10 for 10% off.
Freet Barefoot: creators of comfortable barefoot shoes built for natural movement, flexibility, and durability— use code DNA10 for 10% off.
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs and floor cushions that encourage dynamic sitting
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
ScreenFit™: a complete online vision training program —take $200 off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable shoe recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA

Thoughts/questions email us at podcast@nutritiousmovement.com
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits 

October Retreats 2026

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 foundational piece of heart disease and how the ‘spiky’ shape and structure of cholesterol in plaque has a direct role in the inflammatory pathways and immune system overreactions that occur in heart disease. 
Katy and Jeannette offer practical insights into how regular activity, varied positioning, and lifestyle choices can help support healthy arteries. They also discuss the importance of scientific curiosity, prevention over treatment, and why understanding the body's processes can inspire better self-care.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

0:00 — Introduction:  the Scientific American article on heart inflammation
3:43 — Dynamic Collective
9.15 — Main takeaway: inflammation, cholesterol and heart disease
9:47 — What is plaque? 
15:33 — Why plaque forms in specific locations within arteries: wounding and blood flow 
23:12 — How cholesterol enters arterial walls  
40:00 — Why understanding the body can deepen appreciation and motivation for self-care
44:16 — Listener question: sciatic pain (sponsored by Venn Design).

Books, Links and Resources:

Science and Poetry by Mary Midgely 
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 and floor cushions that encourage dynamic sitting
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable shoe recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA
Earth Runners:  makers of minimalist earthing sandals designed for natural foot movement and connection to the ground— use code DNA10 for 10% off.
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
ScreenFit™: a complete online vision training program —take $200 off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT
Freet Barefoot: creators of comfortable barefoot shoes built for natural movement, flexibility, and durability— use code DNA10 for 10% off.

Thoughts/questions email us at podcast@nutritiousmovement.com
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits 

October Retreats 2026