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 podcast@nutritiousmovement.com
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits

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 osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and examine how movement patterns influence the forces and loads placed across the knee joint. Katy and Jeannette share practical strategies for changing knee loading through gait retraining, along with tools to improve muscle strength, stability, and proprioception to help protect ligaments and cartilage. They also discuss why women tend to experience more knee problems due to hormonal and biomechanical factors, and why prehab and post-surgery exercise training play a critical role in achieving better outcomes after knee surgery.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

00:00 Introduction: The prevalence of knee issues and arthritis
02:00 Why movement and position matter for knee health
04:08 Sponsors: The Dynamic Collective
05:58 The knee as a “cube,” not just a hinge
10:58 Ligaments vs muscles: Why ligaments are seat belts, not brakes
14:20 Cartilage and the knee meniscus: Function and damage
18:00 Changing movement patterns for knee pain: Gait retraining
24:21 Noisy knees explained
26:22 Knee instability: Strength, proprioception, and hypermobility
33:07 Listener question: Why do women have more knee issues? Hormones and Q-angle
46:40 Prehab and post-surgery knee care

Links & Resources Mentioned:
The Pelvic List

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:
Smart Playrooms: Beautiful playroom design and movement-rich equipment—save 10% on monkey bars and rock-wall items with code DNA10.
Venn Design: Beautifully upholstered ball-shaped Air Chairs that encourage dynamic sitting.
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10.
Peluva: Five-toe minimalist shoes that move like you do—take 15% off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA.

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

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 sustainable movement plan that actually works, highlighting flexible planning and simple environmental makeovers that reduce resistance and make movement easier to return to—again and again.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

00:12 Movement Plan Introduction
00:45 Resources for Your Movement Plan
01:30 Sponsor Acknowledgements
02:50 The Three Movement Plan Must-Haves
03:50 The First Essential: A Movement Focus You Re-Evaluate
06:25 Daily “Ride-or-Die” Exercises
10:30 Psychological Flexibility: Why Time Targets Often Backfire
19:18 Containers for Movement: Exploring the SLOTH Model
20:13 Sleep, Repetitive Positioning, and Supportive Rest
23:16 Leisure Activities
26:28 Incorporating Movement Into Your Occupation
28:55 Transportation and Home Makeovers
33:00 Listener Question: Underuse vs. Overuse of Body Parts

Books Mentioned:

My Perfect Movement Plan by Katy Bowman

Links & Resources Mentioned:
Download a printable Movement Plan
Hamstring curls with a ball
Side bend on the ball
Ball push-ups

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:
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.
Movemate: Active standing boards with smoothly articulating wooden slats. Designed to keep you moving without interrupting your focus.
Ikaria Design: The Soul Seat® offers height-adjustable, multi-position sitting—get 10% off new chairs and desks with code DNA10.
Peluva: Five-toe minimalist shoes that move like you do—take 15% off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT

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

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 shoveling and cold-water swimming carry specific risks. The episode also offers practical strategies for continuing to move safely outdoors throughout the winter months.

Even when winter keeps many of us indoors, movement doesn’t have to disappear. Karri Bowen-Poole of Smart Playrooms joins Katy to discuss how indoor spaces can be designed to encourage movement for kids, teens, and adults. They share ideas for simple, versatile equipment that supports strength, coordination, and play, explain why visible and aesthetically pleasing setups matter, and describe how rotating movement tools over time helps sustain interest as needs and abilities evolve.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

00:14 Discussing Cold Weather and Its Impact

01:19 The Dynamic Collective

03:07 Practical Tips for Exercising in Cold Weather

03:43 The Importance of Balance, Slip Training, and Other Winter Exercise Tips

10:45 Cardiovascular System, Cold Weather, and Snow Shoveling

21:52 Cold Water Immersion and Its Effects

29:46 Listener question: Hallux Limitus and Foot Issues

36:02 Introducing Smart Playrooms

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED

Katy’s 2025 Advent featuring Venn Designs Air Chairs

Smart Playrooms x Move Your DNA equipment picks
Smart Playrooms setting up a teen room

Smart Playrooms Sport Court section

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 15% 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.
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.
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA.

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

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 2026 including: movement works locally (not just systemically), the 5 S’s of aging (strong, steady, straight, supple, swift) and the reminder that there will always be something else… move anyway.

If you only listen to one episode to catch up on the year and set your movement intentions for the next, make it this one.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

06:25 Katy and Jeannette review 2025 and look ahead to 2026
20:40 The Dynamic Collective
22:36 Movement Rule Number One: Movement works locally, not just systemically
32:05 Movement Rule Number Two: You should be getting the 5 S's of aging
38:46 Movement Rule Number Three: It's not the mode, it's the load
43:13 Movement Rule Number Four: The upward climb – why you need to exercise more as you age
51:29 Movement Rule Number Five: Hearts are like hip joints, or why you need to do more for your heart than just cardio
56:01 Movement Rule Number Six: There will always be something else – move anyway

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED

My Perfect Movement Plan by Katy Bowman
I Know I Should Exercise But... by Diana Hill & Katy Bowman

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.
Peluva: Five-toe minimalist shoes that move like you do—take 15% off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT.
My Happy Feet: Toe-spacing socks that gently realign toes for comfortable recovery—take 20% off with code MYDNA.
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.
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 podcast@nutritiousmovement.com
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits

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 “hallmarks of aging.” They explore why exercise needs to increase with age (even when life gets busier and energy feels lower), and how reframing discomfort can make consistency possible—so you can extend not just your lifespan, but your healthspan, too.

Katy also speaks with Pack Matthews of Ikaria Design (creator of the Soul Seat) about “active sitting” and why our rest positions matter as we age. Pack shares his personal origin story—using floor-sitting and dynamic postures to counter arthritis. They also preview the upcoming Soul Seat Mini for the smaller people in your life and explore its role in dynamic classrooms.

Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript

00:03:00 — Flipping the visual: “over the hill” → “in the valley”

00:04:00 — The Dynamic Collective

00:06:00 — Chronological age vs biological aging & lifespan vs healthspan

00:08:35 — What may be accelerating aging: obesity, diet, sedentary behavior, stress

00:12:00 — How “biological age” is measured + hallmarks of aging
00:18:00 — Why exercise must increase with age: choosing uphill (progressive overload)
00:36:00 — Listener question: handedness across humans, animals, and even plants
00:47:00 — Interview: Pack Matthews (Ikaria Design) on the Soul Seat + active sitting

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED

Handedness in Animals and Plants

Ikaria Design

Soul Seat Instagram

Soul Seat Facebook

CONNECT, MOVE & LEARN

Movement Advent 2025: 24 Ball Exercises to Balance Tech Stress
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.
Peluva: Five-toe minimalist shoes that move like you do—take 15% off with code NUTRITIOUSMOVEMENT.
Venn Design: Stylish ball-shaped Air Chairs that encourage dynamic sitting—featuring in our 2025 Movement Advent!
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 podcast@nutritiousmovement.com
Your Voice on the Podcast: Read The Credits