Summary — "Why Movement Is Superior To Exercise & How To Unlock Total Body Fitness"

Host: Shawn Stevenson | Guest: Katy Bowman (biomechanist, author, Nutritious Movement)

Overview

This episode is a movement masterclass with Katy Bowman. The central thesis: exercise (as commonly practiced) is only a small part of what healthy movement is. Modern culture has removed many natural movement inputs from daily life—outsourcing tasks and conveniences—which limits the body’s sensory and motor engagement and contributes to physical dysfunction (including vestibular and balance issues). Bowman explains the difference between movement, physical activity, exercise, and labor, and offers practical perspectives for reclaiming a richer “movement diet.”

Key points & main takeaways

• Movement vs. exercise (nesting-doll analogy)
  • Exercise = intentional, prescriptive movement done to improve fitness (smallest doll).
  • Physical activity = broader category that may improve health and also accomplish tasks.
  • Movement = the largest container: any change in body shape or location; includes play, labor, social tasks, etc.
• Reducing movement to isolated exercises is like reducing an apple to its nutrients—missing the full experience and benefits.
• Modern conveniences outsource movement (food procurement, chores, etc.), reducing diverse movement inputs and social/brain stimulation that accompany movement.
• Labor (work that accomplishes real tasks) is an undervalued movement modality that contributes to health, community, and purpose.
• The vestibular system (balance, inner ear orientation) is neglected in many adults; loss of varied head orientations and play (spinning, climbing) leads to balance and vision-related dysfunctions.
• Rehabilitation and therapy for vestibular dysfunction is increasingly common; technologies like VR are used to recreate real-life, orientation-changing movement (e.g., simulated apple picking).
• Movement is multi-sensory and multi-dimensional—vision, vestibular inputs, feet/ground interaction, social context, and purpose matter, not just isolated muscle contractions.

Notable quotes / insights

• “Exercise is movement done with intention to make us physically healthier.” (Bowman)
• “When you reduce movement to the things inside of it...they're not the total apple.” — analogy used to show loss of context and complexity when we isolate movement into narrow components.
• “Many of our conveniences are really just places where we've outsourced movement.” — explaining cultural shift away from natural, purposeful movement.

Topics discussed

• Definitions and distinctions: movement, physical activity, exercise, labor
• Cultural changes that remove daily movement (automation, delivery, labor outsourcing)
• The “apple” analogy to illustrate complexity and context of movement
• Vestibular system health, balance, and why adults lose tolerance for sensory play (e.g., spinning)
• Rehabilitation approaches (including VR therapy) to restore vestibular function
• The importance of multi-dimensional movement inputs: vision/eyes, feet, varied head orientation, social interaction, purpose-driven tasks
• Practical benefits of reclaiming movement: injury prevention, better performance, richer social and environmental engagement
• Brief sponsor mention: Our Place non-toxic cookware (PFOA-free) — unrelated to content but present in episode

Action items & recommendations

• Expand your “movement diet” beyond formal exercise:
  • Add purposeful physical tasks (labor) — carrying, chopping wood, gardening, raking leaves, cooking from scratch.
  • Seek varied movement contexts: climb, twist, reach, bend, carry, balance on uneven surfaces.
• Reintroduce sensory play and vestibular challenges safely:
  • Small amounts of head-orientation changes (gentle spinning, balance exercises, climbing, playful movement) to maintain vestibular tolerance.
  • If dizziness/vertigo exists, consult a professional—vestibular therapy (including VR-assisted training) can help.
• Train the feet and ground interaction:
  • Spend time barefoot or on varied surfaces to improve proprioception and reduce injury risk (topic emphasized in episode intro).
• Choose “less convenient” options intentionally at times:
  • Walk or bike short trips, carry groceries, prepare more food yourself — reclaim movement that used to be embedded in daily life.
• Think holistically: incorporate social and environmental aspects (group walks, outdoor chores, play with kids) to amplify benefits.

Practical examples (from episode)

• Go pick apples (literal or metaphorical): reinforces vision, vestibular, reach, balance, and social interaction.
• Stack or carry wood, rake leaves, garden — these are labor-based movement that exercise alone cannot replicate.
• Playful movement with kids — e.g., merry-go-round, spinning, climbing — to stimulate vestibular and sensory systems (within one’s tolerance).

Final note / resources

• Guest: Katy Bowman — biomechanist, founder of Nutritious Movement; advocates for movement as a form of nutrition.
• If interested in deeper learning: look up Nutritious Movement resources and Katy Bowman’s books for practical protocols and programs to diversify daily movement.

This episode reframes movement as a broad, sensory-rich, socially-embedded human necessity—not just a scheduled gym session—and provides both the rationale and simple strategies to restore more varied, purposeful movement into everyday life.