Movement Matters: Essays on Movement Science, Movement Ecology, and the Nature of Movement
Human beings have always moved for what they need until recently. We know how a lack of movement impacts our bodies but how does culture-wide sedentarism impact the world?
Movement Matters is an award-winning collection of essays in which biomechanist Katy Bowman continues her groundbreaking presentation on the interconnectedness of nature, human movement, and the environment.
Winner: Foreword Indies Book Award (Gold)
Here Bowman widens her there is more to movement than exercise message presented in Move Your DNA and invites us to consider this idea: human movement is a part of the ecosystem.
Movement Matters explores how we make ourselves, our communities, and our planet healthier all at the same time by moving our bodies more-as well as:
- How did we become so sedentary? (Hint: Convenience often saves us movement, not time.)
- the missing movement nutrients in our food
- how to include more nature in education
- why ecosystem models need to include human movement
- the human need for Vitamin Community and group movement
Unapologetically direct, often hilarious, and always compassionate, Movement Matters demonstrates that human movement is powerful and important, and that living a movement-filled life is perhaps the most joyful and efficient way to transform your body, community, and world. A must read for exercise teachers, environmentalists, and those wanting simple, accessible ways to take action for a better world.
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Bestselling author, speaker, and a leader of the Movement movement, biomechanist Katy Bowman, M.S. is changing the way we move and think about our need for movement. Her 10 books, including the groundbreaking Move Your DNA, have been translated into more than 16 languages worldwide.
Bowman teaches movement globally and speaks about sedentarism and movement ecology to academic and scientific audiences such as the Ancestral Health Summit and the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. Her work has been featured in diverse media such as the Today Show, CBC Radio One, the Seattle Times, NPR, the Joe Rogan Experience, and Good Housekeeping.
One of Maria Shriver's Architects of Change and an America Walks Woman of the Walking Movement, Bowman consults on educational and living space design to encourage movement-rich habitats. She has worked with companies like Patagonia, Nike, and Google as well as a wide range of non-profits and other communities to create greater access to her move more, move more body parts, move more for what you need message.
Her movement education company, Nutritious Movement, is based in Washington State, where she lives with her family.
"Movement Matters is a delight to read and will help every family. Its implications extend far beyond our individual lives."--Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and Vitamin N
"Katy Bowman is one of the world's leading experts on the ecology of human movement. She offers a timely and fascinating collection of essays that are designed to inspire a movement-based lifestyle--essential for our long-term survival as adaptive humans. A must-read for anyone who cares about their health." ---Angela Hanscom, author of Balanced and Barefoot
"One of the unfortunate side effects of living in complex, modern societies is the distance we create from the natural world, leading us to forget how to live better with less and by keeping active. In her quest to resurrect this lost knowledge, Katy Bowman provides us with a survival roadmap to reclaim personal quality of life and a sustainable future for all. A must-read for anyone interested in living a happy, productive life on a habitable planet."---Jason Lewis, author of The Expedition series
"Tying together ecological sustainability and modern lifestyles, this book focuses on the science of moving in healthy ways as a means of healing both the earth and the individual. Its heavy emphasis on healthy living generates a necessary bridge between personal well-being and the well-being of the whole environment, and is yet another strong voice in the general call for more active, mindful lifestyle choices. Bowman, a biomechanist, does a fine job communicating the hidden significance of everyday acts, such as walking, sitting, and buying prepared food, in digestible sound bites. This is no dense academic treatise; it is written specifically to appeal to the average person, actively acknowledging commonly asked questions about activity and exercise. Movement Matters is a continuation in a popular trend toward a holistic approach to health and ecology. Ideal for nutritionists, fitness experts, and anyone seeking an all-around healthier lifestyle."--Foreword Reviews
"I've spent almost twenty years talking to people about food and specifically why good food matters. I've made my case using biology and ecology, talking about our hunter-gatherer past. What I missed is all the movement that went into not just our food but also our lives. This is why movement matters--and fortunately for you, Katy Bowman has tackled this topic in a way that has never been done before."---Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution
"We learn why movement matters, and that the answer lies not in the monotony of pointless exercise for its own sake, but rather in the exhilaration of movement as an expression of our very humanity."---Daniel Vitalis, host of the WildFed podcast and television program
"This book is for thinkers...A gem for the modern yoga teacher."---Shut Up & Yoga
"In Movement Matters you'll find radical new clarity on how to fulfill [your role in the ecosystem] in a meaningful way. Do not expect a list of exercises or go-to movements. Expect to shift your perspective. Don't expect an easy read. Expect an engrossing one, one that will leave you not only a better 'mover, ' but a better human animal."---Breaking Muscle
"Understanding our role as human animals within the web of our ecosystem is critical in order to fully grasp what it means to exist. Movement Matters fully embraces all that I think we are failing to recognize--that our true selves are within the natural world, not above it."--Diana Rogers, RD, author of The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook
"With Movement Matters, Katy Bowman has produced a thoughtful--and radical--treatise that is a must-read for those interested in their personal health...and the health of the body politic and planet. A stellar read."---Rose Hayden-Smith, author of Sowing the Seeds of Victory: American Gardening Programs of World War I
"Everyone should read this book."---Paleo Magazine
"Perfect for the person who can't sit still!"---National Outdoor Leadership School, from their list of "10 Favorite Books About Leadership By Women"
"What a breath of fresh air! Katy Bowman, like her books, oozes originality and intelligence. In Movement Matters, she makes readers see how movement isn't something you do--it's something you are...The world, the fitness industry, and those of you at home aspiring for well-being will really benefit from Katy's life-enhancing information."---Ellen Barrett, author of The 28 Days Lighter Diet
"This gorgeous book opens the door to a new way of thinking and being. Katy teaches us how each movement, no matter how small it may seem, matters. You can't help but want to become more active in every aspect of your life."---Kristin Meekhof, author of A Widow's Guide to Healing
"In Movement Matters, Katy Bowman has taken a large and complex topic and made it more than just fathomable--the essays are an enjoyable exploration of movement and other features of human health viewed from a unique perspective."---Arthur Haines, author of A New Path
"Movement Matters is a delight to read and will help every family. Its implications extend far beyond our individual lives."--Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and Vitamin N
"Katy Bowman is one of the world's leading experts on the ecology of human movement. She offers a timely and fascinating collection of essays that are designed to inspire a movement-based lifestyle-essential for our long-term survival as adaptive humans. A must-read for anyone who cares about their health." ---Angela Hanscom, author of Balanced and Barefoot
"One of the unfortunate side effects of living in complex, modern societies is the distance we create from the natural world, leading us to forget how to live better with less and by keeping active. In her quest to resurrect this lost knowledge, Katy Bowman provides us with a survival roadmap to reclaim personal quality of life and a sustainable future for all. A must-read for anyone interested in living a happy, productive life on a habitable planet."---Jason Lewis, author of The Expedition series
"Tying together ecological sustainability and modern lifestyles, this book focuses on the science of moving in healthy ways as a means of healing both the earth and the individual. Its heavy emphasis on healthy living generates a necessary bridge between personal well-being and the well-being of the whole environment, and is yet another strong voice in the general call for more active, mindful lifestyle choices. Bowman, a biomechanist, does a fine job communicating the hidden significance of everyday acts, such as walking, sitting, and buying prepared food, in digestible sound bites. This is no dense academic treatise; it is written specifically to appeal to the average person, actively acknowledging commonly asked questions about activity and exercise. Movement Matters is a continuation in a popular trend toward a holistic approach to health and ecology. Ideal for nutritionists, fitness experts, and anyone seeking an all-around healthier lifestyle."--Foreword Reviews
"I've spent almost twenty years talking to people about food and specifically why good food matters. I've made my case using biology and ecology, talking about our hunter-gatherer past. What I missed is all the movement that went into not just our food but also our lives. This is why movement matters--and fortunately for you, Katy Bowman has tackled this topic in a way that has never been done before."---Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution
"We learn why movement matters, and that the answer lies not in the monotony of pointless exercise for its own sake, but rather in the exhilaration of movement as an expression of our very humanity."---Daniel Vitalis, host of the WildFed podcast and television program
"This book is for thinkers...A gem for the modern yoga teacher."---Shut Up & Yoga
"In Movement Matters you'll find radical new clarity on how to fulfill [your role in the ecosystem] in a meaningful way. Do not expect a list of exercises or go-to movements. Expect to shift your perspective. Don't expect an easy read. Expect an engrossing one, one that will leave you not only a better 'mover, ' but a better human animal."---Breaking Muscle
"Understanding our role as human animals within the web of our ecosystem is critical in order to fully grasp what it means to exist. Movement Matters fully embraces all that I think we are failing to recognize--that our true selves are within the natural world, not above it."--Diana Rogers, RD, author of The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook
"With Movement Matters
