Nutritious Movement Center Northwest

Location: 13 Ruth’s Place, Unit G, Carlsborg

Classes: 9:45 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 7 a.m. Tuesday/Thursday

On the web: www.NutritiousMovement.com

“Poetry in motion,” from a long-ago song, was the way an admirer described the sauntering gait of a lithe young woman.

Motion or movement of the human body has been the focus of biomechanist Katy Bowman’s career and now she has brought her considerable knowledge to Sequim with the Nutritious Movement Center Northwest, a facility owned by Bowman and her husband Michael Curran.

“A biomechanist is some-one who studies living phenomena from a physics perspective, how mechanical laws influence living things,” Bowman explained. “My focus is on the human body, specially the movement of the body.”

The author of seven books on the topic, Bowman is well respected in the field, her book “Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement,” the best-selling of all of them.

“It’s about why movement is necessary for the human body to function and the difference between movement and exercise because they’re not the same thing. All exercise is movement but all movement is not exercise,” Bowman said. Exercise, she explained, is reaping a physical benefit but movement is any movement of the body to make it function better by building muscles, to help with balance for example. An interview with her appears in the July issue of Prevention magazine.

In 2006, Bowman established her first center in California, outgrowing four of them. For the next few years, she trained others in her system of specific exercises and traveled extensively, teaching the concept of “nutritious movement” in Europe and Canada, in person and through her podcasts and blog.

From a 3,000-square-foot warehouse in Carlsborg, the couple has created a bright and dynamic setting for the five classes she teaches that are open to the public for a $10 donation to Olympic Nature Experience, a group whose goal is to keep youths moving.

“I start with the idea that your historical lack of movement is what is making movement uncomfortable now. I start with small movements in areas that have lost mobility and strength so people then can accomplish daily things in their lives,” Bowman said. “The classes are to help people to hold onto a movement-rich lifestyle. I focus on very functional movement to put movement back into your life.”

Between 2004-2006, Bowman came up with an exercise system that she trademarked and moved her operations from California to Sequim this year.

“With young children at home, I thought why not get people (for training) to come to Sequim. It’s a tourism town and Sequim is nature-rich. It makes sense for people to come here, to a retreat and nature-based living,” Bowman said, noting that her many trainees from across the nation and world provide a boost to Sequim’s economy while they’re learning Bowman’s techniques.

The large classroom, covered with interlocking dense foam flooring, has enough room to teach 40 potential instructors at a time; a small classroom has large mirrors so clients can make their own assessments on how they’re doing.

“I use the large space to create a safe, controlled obstacle course, for example, unstable surfaces, narrow paths for balance, scenarios to get over a particular fear,” Bowman said. “Fear can affect gait patterns. It’s a chance to explore where you do and don’t feel comfortable, so we work on specific exercises to help you overcome your fears. Constant self-assessment is key to our program here, so then we can step in with exercises to get you over that hurdle.”

Bowman said she will add more classes in the fall and she’s greatly concerned about Americans’ increasingly sedentary lifestyle, especially younger generations.

“What I really love is actually moving — at the end of the day I like personally working with somebody in class and watching them leave the class more physically competent. It’s very rewarding and motivating. I see the need being met,” Bowman noted.

“When you hurt, it’s very paralyzing, so we start with small movements and learn about ways you’re currently moving that can use exercise to enhance your stability and performance by adding more muscle mass,” Bowman said. Call 360-406-0062 to sign up.