Movement Health Matters: Recent Episodes
Aaron De Jong - movr Founder and CEO
We are focused on educating the millions of people suffering from pain and MSK health issues, as well as those looking to optimize how they feel and move in their body. We believe everybody and every body deserves access to exercise that is right for them. Movement health as a concept has finally gained some mainstream attention and traction in recent years. Sitting is the new smoking. 10,000 steps per day. Concepts like this are catching on, but so many people still live with physical dysfunction and pain, even with the advancements in fitness, health and technology. Although the interest in movement health has increased, the attention has largely been given to the associated problems (employer spend, medical costs, obesity, inactivity) - without an understanding of what preventative solutions are both available and actually effective. This podcast brings to public attention what the leaders in movement health are doing today and into the future.
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we talk with Dr. Heather McKee. Dr. McKee is a health behavior change specialist who is passionate about researching and implementing effective methods for creating lasting healthy habits. Her mission is to empower people to find freedom and joy in their healthy habits by utilizing research-driven approaches.
Join Aaron and Dr. Heather McKee as they talk about all things behavior change and the importance of establishing lasting habits. Driven to make an impact by her experiences in a metabolic syndrome clinic, Dr. McKee also shares her background in sports science and health psychology, highlighting the challenges people face in making lasting changes despite having the proper knowledge and resources. They dive into her academic journey and the research on weight loss maintenance, discussing the positive impact of psychological skills training on mental and physical wellbeing.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to create “sticky” habits
- Why joy is so important in making habits stick
- The importance of exercising for fun over (just) benefit
- Why a toddler mindset (asking ‘why’ a lot) is important in getting to the root of any blockers in creating new, healthy habits
- What macro-level changes Heather is seeing at the company level related to overall health and well-being Why we struggle to make lasting behavior changes despite having the knowledge and resources
- The impact of psychological skills training on mental and cognitive health outcomes
- The importance of a long-term mindset in maintaining behavior change
- Why we need to learn from failures, embracing flexibility, and avoiding perfectionism
- Bridging the gap between knowledge and implementation for lasting behavioral change
Links:
https://www.drheathermckee.co.uk/
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we talk with Dr. Duncan French, Ph.D., the Vice President of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute and a world-class performance specialist. Dr. French shares his wisdom on high performance training, building movement quality in all people, and the importance of making exercise enjoyable and fun.
Dr. French is a sports performance expert with decades of experience leading world-class athletes and programs across the globe. With the UFC, his goal is to create the world’s best high performance service for the most demanding sport in the world (mixed martial arts). He has also worked in the Premier League, with Olympic programs, in the NCAA, and across many other sports, including boxing and basketball. Dr. French’s mission is to apply science at the “cutting edge of the spear,” blending his impressive academic portfolio with real-world experience in sports performance.
Simply put, there are not many people better-equipped to discuss movement health than Dr. French, and we were priviledged to host him on Movement Health Matters.
What You'll Learn:
- How Dr. French thinks like a scientist and applies the science in real-world situations with real-world athletes
- Why working with children informed him on the importance of fun and gamification in training for all people
- What excites him in fitness, and health technology looking ahead
- Why wearable data can provide helpful information for decision-making
- Why being “robust and ready” is a core tenet of Dr. French’s training philosophy
Links:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_duncan_french/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/duncanfrench?lang=en
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we talk with Niranjan “Tex” Kissoon, MD, FRCP(C), FAAP, FCCM, FACPE. Tex combines a unique journey in life with incredible credentials and experience in global health leadership and an unwavering focus on improving the health and lives of young people all over the world. His conversation with Aaron goes into the role that government and the WHO play in setting health goals, strategies, and systems, and the importance of movement and activity in his own life.
He is the current President of the Global Sepsis Alliance and a Professor at BC Children’s Hospital and UBC Global Child Health, Department of Paediatrics and Emergency Medicine University of British Columbia. Dr. Kissoon was awarded a Distinguished Career Award by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2013 for his contribution to the society and discipline.
He was also awarded the prestigious Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) Master of Critical Care Medicine award in 2015 in recognition of his tireless efforts and achievements as a prominent and distinguished leader of national and international stature.
What You'll Learn:
- Why Tex chose pediatrics as an area of focus in his career
- Why there is still a lack of education around food and nutrition in developed nations
- How he measures progress at the global level
- How the World Health Organization (WHO) works
- Why giving basic health advice to the masses is sometimes like “screaming into a blizzard”
- The role that technology can play in scaling effective solutions
- Tex’s basic assessments to measure health and longevity
- How to incorporate functional movement and exercise into your daily routine to improve overall health and well-being.
- The importance of gender equity and supporting initiatives that empower and educate women
- The long-term effects of pandemics and infections on mental health, education, and societal stability
Links:
- Tex’s biography: https://www.bcchr.ca/tkissoon
- Sepsis Alliance: https://www.sepsis.org/advisory/niranjan-tex-kissoon-md-frcpc-faap-fccm-facpe/
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we talk with Silvia Blemker, PhD, the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Springbok Analytics. Silvia is well known in the field of muscle biomechanics and physiology for developing novel computational and experimental approaches to study muscle, with applications ranging from muscle disease to athletic performance. She has held a lifelong curiosity around the human body, muscle and movement, making her a great person to join Aaron for a discussion related to all things movement.
Silvia shares her thoughts on muscle analysis and its current limitations, the importance of defining movement health on an individual level, and how Springbok’s 3D muscle analysis technology has the potential to revolutionize how we understand muscle. Silvia led the initial scientific research that laid the foundation for the Springbok technology and continues to lead research and development at Springbok. The company works with professional athletes and organizations across the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, and is working with leading organizations in healthcare and life sciences to expand and evolve how the world views muscle.
What You'll Learn:
- Why muscle mass is good for the cardiovascular system, the entire body and the brain
- The types of muscle analysis that Springbok focuses on: muscle volume, asymmetries and muscle quality
- How Springbok is working with the NFL, NBA and athletes and professional sports organizations to better assess and understand injury, training and return-to-play protocols
- The importance of looking at muscles individually
- Why there is still so much we need to study and learn about the MSK system
- The need for a normative database of individual muscle analysis across the general population
- How Springbok is working to commercialize its technology across several markets, including sports, life sciences and longevity
Links:
- https://www.springbokanalytics.com/
- Connect with Silvia
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we talk with Dr. Tom Waller, the Senior Vice President of Innovation at adidas. Previous to his leadership role with the global apparel leader, Tom was the Chief Science Officer at lululemon, and a client of Aaron’s at his Vancouver-based movement training studio. Tom was a major reason behind Aaron taking his movement training principles and bringing them into an app (movr the app). Equal parts scientist, engineer and designer, Tom has ran innovation at two of the most renowned athletic brands on the planet.
In his current position, Tom leads a rare and diverse group of multi-disciplinary scientists, technologists and creatives and he is the originator of the innovation methodology known as the ‘human experience of performance.’ This has infiltrated all aspects of the sports, well-being, health and fitness brands, blending sensory experience and human achievement. Tom is curious, innovative, and passionate about human movement - a self-descirbed ‘inquisitive nerd,’ he loves to explore the human potential for performance through research and his own experience with health and movement.
Tom and Aaron explore movement and movement health at all levels, asking deep questions and connecting the sports and apparel space to solving for what the world actually needs. Tom explains his definition of movement health, and goes into details on what we calls the brilliant basics: sleep, diet, exercise and movement.
What You'll Learn:
- How to reach out and network with Tom (and in general)
- What Tom is excited about in the next 5-10 years in the sports apparel and technology space
- The three pillars of life and the brilliant basics of health
- How sport can be used to unlock the potential of humans and help them achieve their goals
- How can we use movement and yoga to help connect the mind and body and help people understand their own physical and emotional responses
- What are the differences between quick fixes and long-term solutions, and how can we help people navigate the difference in order to achieve their desired results?
- The differences and similarities between innovation at adidas and lululemon
Links:
- Connect with Tom
- https://twitter.com/drtomwaller
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we talk with Ben Kenyon, the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. Ben is also the Founder of Great Day Squad, as well as an accomplished speaker and author. He is passionate about movement-based health and wellness and works with all types of people, from NBA stars like James Harden, Joel Embiid and Damian Lillard to the general population, all with the goal to motivate and help them perform and feel their best each and every day.
Ben and Aaron talk about the keys to a movement health practice, including consistency, community and mindset. Ben also shares themes he takes from working with NBA players into his work at Great Day Squad. Previous to his role with the 76ers, Ben was a Performance Coach with the Portland Trail Blazers, and got his start in the industry at George Washington University.
What You'll Learn:
- How movement drives positive change both mentally and physically
- The essential routines for success and high performance
- The importance of taking a holistic approach to health and wellness
- The similarities and differences between NBA players and the general population
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkenyon-gds/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_kenyon
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we talk with Courtenay Higgins, the President & Co-Founder of Advanta Health Solutions. With over 25 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, Courtenay founded Advanta alongside her brother, combining their passions for tech and communications to create a digital health platform that helps people take control of their healthy behaviors, rewarding them for movement and physical activity. Courtenay is passionate about making health and wellness more accessible to people of all economic backgrounds.
In this interview, Courtenay and Aaron discuss how society has moved beyond the ‘why’ of activity to the ‘how.’ Additionally, they share details on the new Advanta and movr partnership, as well as the importance of personalized assessments, guidance and rewards strategies, movement health, and most importantly, how technology can help to combat the inactivity epidemic.
Courtenay has a wealth of experience in bringing better wellness solutions to many people, and was an early driver of the ‘exercise incentivization’ industry, as she’s been building solutions in the space for well over a decade.
What You'll Learn:
- Courtenay’s entrepreneurial journey and growing up as the oldest of six kids
- The pillars of successfully scaling wellness solutions: participation, inclusivity and engagement.
- Defining wellbeing beyond the gym, and how movement factors in to both physical and mental health
- Why digital transformation mandates in healthcare will radically change how health and wellbeing is delivered in the coming years
Resources:
- https://www.advantahealth.com/
- Connect with Courtenay
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we talk with Joe Vennare, the Co-Founder of Fitt Insider and a Partner at Fitt Capital. Alongside his brother Anthony, Joe has built Fitt Insider into the leading content and media outlet (both newsletter and podcast) for fitness and wellness. It is a resource for founders, executives, and investors, providing decision-makers with insights and analysis of an evolving industry. Joe advises on and invests in numerous companies within the health and wellness industry. (Disclaimer: Fitt Insider is an investor in movr.)
In this interview, Joe shares how he got his start in fitness and health, what he thinks about movement health both personally and from a business perspective, and what excites him in terms of companies and industries in fitness, health and technology. Aaron and Joe go into detail on the MSK problems in our modern society, why pain is now normalized, and potential solutions.
What You'll Learn:
- Joe’s journey in health and fitness, from growing up in a big Italian family to playing high school and college football
- How he got his start in fitness with supplement sales and training people
- How Fitt Insider got started and how they have managed to grow it so successfully
- What is currently missing in health and movement health, and opportunities to solve for general population problems
- Why fitness technology solutions must be accessible, simple and frictionless
Resources:
- Website: https://insider.fitt.co/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeVennare
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joevennare/
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we talk with PJ Nestler, the Vice President of Performance at FitLab and Director of Performance at XPT Life.
PJ is a human performance specialist with over 13 years of experience preparing top athletes from the UFC, NFL, and NHL for competition. Outside of training top athletes, PJ is devoted to education, sharing his knowledge and experience with the purpose of elevating the fitness profession. In his role as Director of Performance for XPT, PJ's focus entails researching & developing educational curriculums around XPT’s Breathe-Move-Recover pillars and teaching certification programs for health & fitness professionals around the world.
In this interview, Aaron and PJ take a step back and look at the high-performance industry, the differences and similarities between training elite athletes and regular people, and why so many fitness technologies keep missing the mark on helping improve movement and MSK issues at scale.
Join us as we talk all things performance and movement with PJ Nestler.
What You'll Learn:
- An overview of FitLab and XPT Life
- PJ’s journey in the fitness and performance industry, with some important lessons and takeaways for young trainers
- How training professional athletes and regular people are both similar and different
- Why movement is a great foundational part to start with people new to fitness and exercise
- What a movement assessment can look like in a high-performance setting
- PJ’s opinion on fitness technologies over the past 5-10 years
Resources:
Website: https://www.fitlab.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachpjnestler/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pj-nestler-86b3264b/
In this episode of Movement Health Matters, we sit down with Dr. Tim Church, the Chief Medical Officer at Wonder Health. As one of the country’s leading clinicians in weight loss, exercise, and obesity research, Dr. Church oversees Wondr Health's advancing efforts to transform the health of individuals, workplaces, and the world around us by empowering people with lifelong behavior change skills and tools. He helps lead the development of the Wondr Health curriculum, which is inspired by his medical expertise.
Dr. Church earned his Bachelor of Science in Animal Physiology at UC Davis, and his MD, MPH, and PhD at Tulane University. He has years of research experience, including at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has published more than 300 clinical articles, and has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Oprah and more. In this interview, Dr. Church shares insights into his background and his thoughts on the state of health and fitness today. He discusses what determines the quality of life, offers his take on healthy aging, and explains the main reasons why current movements and health offerings aren't working for many people. He also shares advice for those who lack support systems for staying fit, discusses the issue of recurring back pains and provides his thoughts on why many medical platforms fail to make simple, practical recommendations for improving health.
Join us as we delve into these critical and timely topics with Dr. Tim Church.
What You'll Learn:
- The power of bringing better-informed choices and ways to live to the masses
- Dr. Church’s definition of movement health
- All you need to know about healthy aging
- Main reasons that movement health offerings are not working at scale
- Motivational blocks that healthy, fit, and active people experience
- How creating a supportive environment leads to success
- Advice to people lacking a support system
- The advantages of doing exercises that create balance in your body
Resources:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wondrhealth/
Website: https://wondrhealth.com/blog/wondr-health-emindful-exactly-what-employers-need-right-now/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wondrhealth/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wondrhealth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WondrHealth
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/wondrhealth
About Movement Health Matters:
We are not creating another podcast that the world does not need. We believe that there is an opportunity to bring the necessary movement health facts, advice and insights to everybody and every body.
Through a curated, limited series of interviews, we will be speaking with the preeminent pioneers and leaders in movement health.
Movement health as a concept has finally gained some mainstream attention and traction in recent years. Sitting is the new smoking. 10,000 steps per day. Concepts like this are catching on, but so many people still live with physical dysfunction and pain, even with the advancements in fitness, health and technology. The status quo of assessment collection, exercise prescription and insights is lacking qualitative analysis, personalization and the ability to do this effectively at scale.
Although the interest in movement health has increased, the attention has largely been given to the associated problems (employer spend, medical costs, obesity, inactivity) - without an understanding of what preventative solutions are both available and actually effective.
About the Host:
Aaron de Jong is the founder of movr and former owner of Movement108, a boutique training studio in Vancouver, BC that focused on functional movement, movement assessments and enabling better movement health for all. A global lululemon ambassador and biomechanics nerd, Aaron is excited to connect on anything to do with bringing better movement quality to the world.