Movement Health Matters Aaron De Jong - movr Founder and CEO

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” habitsWhy joy is so important in making habits stickThe importance of exercising for fun over (just) benefitWhy a toddler mindset (asking ‘why’ a lot) is important in getting to the root of any blockers in creating new, healthy habitsWhat 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 resourcesThe impact of psychological skills training on mental and cognitive health outcomesThe importance of a long-term mindset in maintaining behavior changeWhy we need to learn from failures, embracing flexibility, and avoiding perfectionismBridging 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 athletesWhy working with children informed him on the importance of fun and gamification in training for all peopleWhat excites him in fitness, and health technology looking aheadWhy wearable data can provide helpful information for decision-makingWhy 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 Dr. 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 careerWhy there is still a lack of education around food and nutrition in developed nationsHow he measures progress at the global levelHow the World Health Organization (WHO) worksWhy giving basic health advice to the masses is sometimes like “screaming into a blizzard”The role that technology can play in scaling effective solutionsTex’s basic assessments to measure health and longevityHow 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 womenThe long-term effects of pandemics and infections on mental health, education, and societal stability

Links:


Tex’s biography: https://www.bcchr.ca/tkissoonSepsis 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 brainThe types of muscle analysis that Springbok focuses on: muscle volume, asymmetries and muscle qualityHow Springbok is working with the NFL, NBA and athletes and professional sports organizations to better assess and understand injury, training and return-to-play protocolsThe importance of looking at muscles individually Why there is still so much we need to study and learn about the MSK systemThe need for a normative database of individual muscle analysis across the general populationHow 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 spaceThe three pillars of life and the brilliant basics of healthHow sport can be used to unlock the potential of humans and help them achieve their goalsHow can we use movement and yoga to help connect the mind and body and help people understand their own physical and emotional responsesWhat 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 Tomhttps://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 physicallyThe essential routines for success and high performanceThe importance of taking a holistic approach to health and wellnessThe 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