Move Your DNA with Katy Bowman

In this episode, Katy Bowman and Jeannette Loram dive into the fascinating relationship between blood sugar, diet, and movement. They unpack how the body regulates blood sugar, what happens when this process breaks down in Type I and Type II diabetes, and why different kinds of activity play such a big role in prevention and management.

Katy and Jeannette explain how contracting muscles can pull glucose directly into working cells during exercise—a powerful but site-specific effect—and how long-term training reshapes muscle to take up glucose more efficiently.

They also compare the blood sugar benefits of endurance exercise, resistance training, HIIT, stretching, and even light daily movement. Along the way, they highlight two key scenarios: insulin resistance linked to excess weight and inflammation, versus insulin resistance driven by low muscle mass in people with normal weight. For the latter, they stress why resistance training—or “big body work”—is especially essential.

Enhanced Show Notes & Full Transcript

CHAPTERS 
0:06:00 - Definitions 
0:16:00 - The Dynamic Collective 
0:17:00 - You Can’t Exercise Off Diabetes 
0:20:00 - Muscle is the Key Tissue (and the Liver)
0:36:30 - Stretching & Light Activity 
0:47:00 - Exercise Modality for Blood Sugar Regulation
0:54:25 - Listener Question on Lupus brought to you by Peluva 
1:09:09 - Blood Sugar Spikes During Exercise

BOOKS & RESEARCH PAPERS

My Perfect Movement Plan by Katy Bowman
I know I should Exercise, But... by Diana Hill & Katy Bowman
Exercise and GLUT4 by Flores-Opazo et al (2020) 
Mechanisms of endurance and resistance exercise in type 2 diabetes by Zhao et al (2025) 
Sedentary behaviour as a mediator of type 2 diabetes by Hamilton et al (2015) 
Impact of reduced sitting time or increasing sit-to-stand transitions on blood pressure and glucose regulation in Postmenopausal women by Hartman et al (2025) 
The impact of standing desks on cardiometabolic and vascular health by Bodker et al (2021)

CONNECT, MOVE & LEARN

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MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS:

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

Creators and Guests

Host
Jeannette Loram
Biologist, Yoga & Movement Teacher, Nutritious Movement® RES-CPT, Restore Your Core® Teacher
Host
Katy Bowman
Bestselling author, speaker, and a leader in the Movement movement, biomechanist Katy Bowman is changing the way we move and think about our need for movement.

What is Move Your DNA with Katy Bowman?

Movement isn’t optional—our bodies need it to thrive. Many of us struggle to get regular exercise, and even when we do, it can fall short of truly nourishing the body from head to toe. How can we move more—a lot more—when parts of us are sore, stiff, or simply forgotten in our busy lives?

Join biomechanist Katy Bowman, M.S., and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram on Move Your DNA, where big-picture science meets practical action. Together, they explore biomechanics, kinesiology, physiology, cellular biology, and natural human movement—and translate it into simple, effective ways to wake up your trillion body parts. With humor, curiosity, and a focus on longevity, Katy and Jeannette help you move smarter, move more, and create a more natural habitat for yourself and your communities in today’s mostly sedentary world.