Building Bulletproof Backs Ep 10 - Anatomy in Motion with Gary Ward

Welcome to the tenth episode of the Building a Bulletproof Back podcast.

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This podcast aims to empower listeners with HOPE that healing is possible when you know how. We discuss strategic tools addressing mindset, movement and emotional Health. 

I am your host, Marion McRae, a physiotherapist & movement addict on a mission to see the existing model of treating back pain evolve. The current model is broken. It focusses almost entirely on the physical body, neglecting the fact that we are all both thinkers and feelers. When the thoughts in our head, and the the emotions in our bodies are less than optimal, we fail to thrive. 

Our Guest for this episode is a man who I consider to be the "Leonardo da Vinci of Quality Movement" and his "Flow Motion Model" is the equivalent of da Vinci's Sistine Chapel. Gary observed loading pressures in feet whilst fitting ski boots for avid skiers on the slopes. His powers of observation and curiosity were so intense that he figured out some pretty "game changing" concepts for how we move through space. Since discovering his work, my personal approach to rehabilitation has completely changed and the purity of his model of motion is pure perfection in my eyes. Perhaps I am biased, but when you spend 5 days studying a foot and still walk away totally enthused by this one part of our anatomy, then clearly the teaching and the method are revolutionary.  

We discuss Gary's own injury history, how he created his model of motion and how it relates to back pain.  Including ; the relevance of foot pressures, why core work is not always useful, the futility of some standard rehabilitation protocols.   We discuss the role of movement efficiency for performance, but also for injury avoidance.  

Some Key Quotes - 

"If we are not aware of the things we can't do, we are only aware of the things we can do" = Consider Anatomy in Motion a Pattern Interruption for the Brain 

" You only have two legs" - why not load each one evenly ? 

"More access to Mobility creates Stability"  

Gary’s tools:

1.  Movement -  Anatomy in Motion - creating new opportunities for skeletal  re-organisation, learning new ways of moving gently, quietly and with curiosity to open and close joint spaces evenly throughout the spine. 

Gary’s Top  3 tips -

1.  Take ownership of your body, it's yours.