Biomechanist Katy Bowman talks to biologist Jeannette Loram about a recent New York Times article “ Why Sitting All Day May Shorten Your Life”. Katy was a source for this article and she talks with Jeannette about the journalistic process, and why the short-form might be letting us down.

Katy and Jeannette talk about the benefits of sitting as well as the risks associated with uninterrupted hours in a chair. They discuss sitting as a two-part issue; first the inactivity and second the fixed body geometry. Katy and Jeannette discuss recent research showing that long hours of sitting are associated with a more rapid rate of cellular aging and how many experiences we put down to aging: muscle and bone loss, low energy levels and low back pain are really influenced by how much we sit.

Katy and Jeannette critique the recommendation to offset hours in a chair by increasing exercise time, noting that this is not really how biology works. Katy suggests that this approach is a bit like flossing your teeth diligently while not brushing them.

SPONSORS: THE DYNAMIC COLLECTIVE

This episode of The Move Your DNA podcast is brought to you by The Dynamic Collective, a group of six companies that create products and services helping you to move more. The Dynamic Collective is:
- Peluva: reimagining minimalist footwear

- Movemate: Dynamic active standing board

- Smart Playrooms: design and products for active living indoors

- Correct Toes: anatomic silicone toe spacers

- WIldling: minimal footwear made with natural and sustainable materials

- Venn Design: Functional furniture for a balanced life - sit still less and move more

Biomechanist Katy Bowman talks to biologist Jeannette Loram about her recent multi-day hike across England. Katy, with her sister Mary, walked from east coast to west coast along the length of Hadrian’s Wall.

Katy and Jeannette talk about Katy’s physical preparation for the walk; the (four pairs!) of shoes Katy selected and when she used them; the changing terrain and gait patterns she adopted and how she felt over the course of the trip. Finally Katy shares her physical and philosophical insights after many days of walking.

Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Jeannette Loram talk about coughing.

Katy and Jeannette discuss coughing as a life-saving movement; both in the immediate, to prevent choking, and also in the longer term for adequate clearance of the lungs and the health of our airways. They discuss the anatomy and mechanics of a cough, explaining how the mobility, strength and coordination of our core muscles affects the strength of our cough.

They discuss postural presentations such as hyperkyphosis and anterior pelvic tilt that can lead to a weaker cough. They also talk about the liabilities of a cough, including abdominal strain, urinary incontinence, rib damage and back pain.

They discuss how coughing, like giving birth, is not a movement that we want to practice: ‘use it or lose it’ does not apply in this case! Instead we want to make sure that tension or weakness in our torso is not limiting our ability to cough when we need to. Katy offers a suite of mobility and strength exercises to prepare your coughing apparatus as we head into flu and cold season.