273: The Power of Movement for Mind and Body With Aaron Alexander of The Align Podcast

Not only is today’s guest super inspiring and incredibly fit, he has a unique take on exercise and how to align our movements to the body’s natural design. Aaron Alexander is a manual therapist and movement coach who has helped the world’s best athletes, celebrities, and everyone in between to relieve pain, increase strength, and optimize their movement.

I’ve been trying various aspects of his approach, which he calls the Align Method. His program includes an integrated approach to functional movement and self-care, and I’m seeing changes already. In fact Aaron got me way out of my comfort zone right before this episode when he got me to try acro yoga for the first time!

Today Aaron and I go deep on what we can learn from our kids about movement, the real deal with sitting versus standing, and how the body holds something called “a motion intention.” For more, also check out when he interviewed me on his top-rated Align Podcast (link below), which was tons of fun!

Episode Highlights With Aaron Alexander

• How Aaron went from body-bound to body-optimized
• Why hitting the gym in the conventional sense may not always result in your best self
• Why chronesthesia may be affecting you (even if you don’t know what it means)
• How to sit on the floor, couch, etc. to improve circulation and digestion
• The psychological connection between body and brain that allows the way we stand and move to change our thoughts
• How moms can help restore and care for the pelvic floor after birth
• Inversion therapy: who it’s for, benefits, and what to consider
• The number one leading cause of disability worldwide
• How to bend over/pick things up with correct form
• Why sitting isn’t as bad as we think
• What pain is really telling us
• The benefits of squatting whenever and wherever you can
• And more!

Resources We Mention

• AlignPodcast.com
• Aubrey Marcus
• Ida Rolf, Rolfing Structural Integration
• Yoga swing
• Idiocrasy
• TED Talk, “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are” by Amy Cuddy
• Sitting Kills by Joan Vernikos
• Muscles and Meridians: The Manipulation of Shape by Philip Beach
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk MD
• Shoulder Pain? The Solution and Prevention by John Kirsch
• Albert Mehrabian studies

Episode Quotables

“What does it mean to stand well? What does it mean to sit well? What does it mean to breathe well, and have awareness of my breath? We don’t ever have this conversation in school. So a huge gaping deficit in our healthcare system is the way that we inhabit our bodies from a movement perspective and the way that affects all the other layers.”

More From Wellness Mama

• 250: Sustainable Fitness, Cork, and Benefits of Rolling With Addie Conner
• 221: Natural Movement, Sustainable Fitness, and Lifelong Health With Dr. Mark Cucuzzella
• 202: How Footwear Affects Posture, Alignment, & Movement With Gordon Hay From ALINE
• 190: The Easiest Way to Track HRV, Sleep, and Movement With Oura Ring
• 106: Why to Stop Doing Kegels & Squat Instead with Katy Bowman
• 267: Solving Joint Pain & Why Sports Aren’t Good for Kids With Hunter Fitness
• 260: Why the 21st Century Is at War With Your Spine With Ty Carzoli
• Benefits of Inversion Therapy (& How to Do It at Home)

Did you enjoy this episode? What other questions do you have about movement? Please drop a comment below or leave a review on iTunes to let us know. We value knowing what you think and this helps other moms find the podcast as well.

Thank You to Today’s Sponsors

This episode is sponsored by Fabletics, my current source for all my gym wear. In the last six months, I’ve discovered several new types of workouts that I’m loving. From group classes focused on flexibility, to high intensity work, to underwater weight and breath training, I’ve been loving trying new things and Fabletics has activewear for all of this. And I wear one of their pieces pretty much every day. Their mission is to make affordable high quality workout wear available to all of us, and I love being a VIP member, which unlocks special benefits. Here’s how it works… when you go to fabletics.com/wellnessmama and take a 60-second quiz, it matches you with a showroom of styles designed for your body type and workout type. Before I forget, Fabletics is offering my listeners an incredible deal you don’t want to miss: Get 2 leggings for only $24 ($99 value) when you sign up for a VIP. Just go to fabletics.com/wellnessmama to take advantage of this deal now. Also free shipping on orders over $49. International shipping is available and there is absolutely no commitment when you purchase your first order! Here’s a tip: make sure you enter your email address to get notified about new styles and special. I’ve found out about some amazing sales through that link. I also personally recommend the power hold leggings which are awesome for everything from lifting weights to yoga.

This podcast is sponsored by Genexa – a line of organic and non-GMO medicines that are also free of dyes and common allergens. They have homeopathic and over-the-counter formulas that taste great and work. One that is really popular with moms is Lax Aid for kids – a natural and pediatrician recommended constipation relief formula without the harmful additives found in some types. They also have formulas to help with everything from sleep to allergies, and sore muscles to colds and everything in between. To shop their full line of organic and non-GMO medicines, go to Genexa.com/Wellnessmama and use code WELLNESS for 20% off your order.