This is where The Body Flow Project began.

Gary is kind of a secret weapon in injury prevention, performance development and all around bodily health because Gary’s interest lies in awareness and alignment. Awareness not only in the present sense but also awareness of our past.

Because tuning in to the events of our past can shine a light on how it has informed our present way of moving, living and being and with this awareness we have the potential to improve our alignment of our body and I think it goes much deeper and I believe it helps a line our body and mind and our spirit in order to to reach your potential.

What’s in this podcast…

The foot (and human body in general) is an incredibly complex structure, and often times we reduce our understanding of it down to “just stretch this muscle and strengthen this other one”, or “let’s try to point those feet or knees in a particular direction that we deem correct”. At the end of the day, the body is always doing the best that it can, given the sensory information that it has. When we lack sensory information, we will have trouble moving our joints and bones properly, and things tend to go downhill from there. Gary helps us to holistically understand the way the body works based on its own incredible ability to interpret information and heal itself. For today’s episode, Gary and I talk about some performance-driven issues and aspects of foot training. We start out with a chat about those athletes who tend to walk with the toes “turned out” and if this is something that should be labeled as “dysfunctional” and in need of correction.

What’s in this podcast…

As seen on BBC’s Dr. In the House – Gary Ward is an author, educator and speaker on the subject of human movement and anatomy. He is the inventor of the Flow Motion Model: a simple description of what the body does and when it does it… A powerful tool for both assessment and intervention of the human body in the quest for health through movement. Gary is the author of ‘What The Foot’ and teaches his work all over the world.

• Gary was originally a ski boot fitter in the Alps, where he became fascinated about anatomy and movement
• Training as a massage therapist and personal trainer, to have the quickest way in to working with the human body
• His work has developed into this: “ An anatomical description of the movement of each joint in the body through all three dimensions of movement, over a single footstep”, by generating a map to see those movements taking place
• The evolution of the Flow Motion Model, which consists of 12 phases
• Teaching his work to personal trainers and therapists
• Freedom to observe, test, feel and learn the movement connections throughout the entire body
• The joint shape dictates everything
• Joints act, muscles react
• Taking ownership of the body
• The only person who can heal you is you. You have to create the right balance in your system
• ‘Finding Centre’, an affordable programme to help people to understand their bodies
• “The therapist shines the light on the dark spaces”
• Healing- giving the body the opportunity to achieve  its optimal, efficient state
• What if better movement improves a number of modern illnesses?
• Tension in a muscle is stress in the body
• “People will walk into your room with their problem tattooed on their forehead, if you can just learn to read it”
• It doesn’t matter how much pain you are in, you can always find a comfortable position
• Encouraging kids to be active and not restricting their movement
• “Movement is the answer”

What’s in this podcast…

Dr Chatterjee talks to Gary Ward about his journey on discovering his passion for human movement, how he believes healthcare professionals and movement specialists can learn from his philosophy and why we should all be in control of our own health.

Episode Highlights:

• When did Gary discover his passion for feet?
• How did Gary further his knowledge on anatomy and human movement?
• Hear Gary’s philosophy on treating mechanical pain and what to look out for.
• What was Gary’s lightbulb moment?
• How does Gary’s course help different professionals such as personal trainers, GPs, physiotherapists, osteopaths and pilates instructors?
• Hear how Gary discovered the root cause of pain for Dr Chatterjee’s patient on BBCs Doctor in the House
• What do Gary & Rangan both believe is key to finding the root cause of pain & health concerns?

What’s in this podcast…

In BBC One’s Doctor in the House Dr Chattergee with Gary Ward helps 42-year-old Mark, who works in retail. A former athlete, Mark has suffered from back pain for over 20 years and this has caused him significant problems.

Most cases of back pain are self-limiting and probably go within a few weeks. Mark was different.

He had chronic back pain and this had lasted for years. He has had to take time off from work, which has impacted his family’s financial situation, and he’s even had to stay in hospital because his pain has been so severe.

Resources:

Instagram : @GaryWard_AiM

Facebook : www.facebook.com/anatomyinmotion

www.findingcentre.co.uk

www.whatthefoot.co.uk 

What The Foot Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1907261087/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=avnitouch-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1907261087&linkId=117b4763411c745431b58a69b1326646

Wake Your Body Up = www.findingcentre.co.uk/wakeyourbodyup