The Movement Fluidity Podcast

Emily Faulkner is a classmate of mine from the motor learning program at Columbia University. Emily teaches a form of alternative therapy called the Alexander Technique to athletes, musicians, people with chronic pain, and more. She teaches out of New York City.

Alexander Technique is a psychosensory education technique that can conditions related due to stress. The goal is not to cure a condition, but it can make a problematic condition less taxing on an individual. Alexander technique is not exercise or meditation, but instead focuses on self-analysis to change one’s awareness of their body in space and their postural tone. 

I am a participant in Emily’s masters thesis project, which is a case study for exploring the effects of the Alexander Technique on Cerebral Palsy. Prior to this project, this topic has never been explored in the literature until now!

Find Emily:

Instagram - emily_a_faulkner

Website - https://www.emilyfaulkner.com/

Email - emilyafaulkner@gmail.com

Find Charlie:

Instagram - charlie.graffius

In this episode, I interview Paritosh Joshi and Julia Pappageorge who are the co-authors of the paper “Reimagining Disability: A Call to Action” published in the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal. In the article, they compare the two main models of disability, the medical and social models. The medical model believes that people are not “normal” if they have a disability and blames them for not fitting in. The social model believes society hurts people with disabilities and wants to create better environments for them. 

Paritosh Joshi is a Master of Arts student in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. His research interests focus on examining the social determinants of mental health disparities and promoting mental health equity.

Julia Pappageorge is an interdisciplinary educator and researcher based in Chicago. She investigates how cultural, political, and economic factors shape urban education and perpetuate social inequalities. 

Link to “Reimagining Disability: A Call to Action”:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377061105_Reimagining_Disability_A_Call_To_Action

Find Paritosh:

I am excited to share that I will be participating in the FiveBoro bike tour in New York City this May. This 40 mile bike ride through all five boroughs is to raise money for Cerebral Palsy (CP) research. This is my first (of many) events like this to raise money for CP. I have not been on a bike in months, but I will be posting updates on my Instagram page if you’d like to see the training progression to get ready for this race. 

My goal is to raise a minimum of $1,000 for The Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation (CPARF). Your donation will contribute to grants given out to private funding for top researchers in the world that are working on promising science for CP. CPARF supports researchers for clinical trials as well as for those with promising interventions (e.g. accessible gaming, braces, pharmacological interventions) that need increased exposure to become more mainstream. Thank you for your consideration.

To donate for CP Research:

https://give.cparf.org/fundraisers/charliegraffius/charlie-graffius-fiveboro-bike-tour

Find Charlie:

Instagram - charlie.graffius

Facebook - Charlie Graffius

Shea Hammond is a player for the US Soccer Para 7-a-side Men’s National Team and for Clemson Paralympic Soccer. He was the youngest member of the men’s national team at age 16, and recently helped the team earn a bronze medal at the Para Pan American games while scoring four goals in the U.S.’s six matches. Shea helped to found the nonprofit organization called CPSoccer, a free soccer training program for ambulatory kids with cerebral palsy, stroke, or traumatic brain injury. Watch his Ted Talk on Youtube called “Paralyzed to Paralympic”. 

Find Shea:

Instagram - shea_hammond

Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@sheahammond?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

CP Soccer - https://www.cpsoccer.us/

Ted Talk: Paralyzed to Paralympic- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nXWyBVR-b4

Find Charlie:

Instagram - charlie.graffius

My guest today is Sam Sahl, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at The Hun School of Princeton. Sam explains what he refers to as “adding value” as a coach, where he emphasizes that an athlete’s progress is contingent on the connection they have with you. He also describes how when people build strength, they can change the way they interact with their environment - this growth empowers people to add something to the world regardless of their physical condition.

Find Sam:

Instagram: sam.sahl

Find Charlie:

Instagram - charlie.graffius

Facebook - Charlie Graffius

Episode 18 of the Movement Fluidity Podcast is here! This is a solo podcast where I talk about some new perspectives on Cerebral Palsy (CP) after my first month of graduate school. I am in my first semester in a Masters of Arts program in Motor Learning and Motor Control. One of my goals is to combine the knowledge from this course to improve my own physical capabilities to prove that anything is possible for those with CP. Even though injuries to the Central Nervous System cannot fully regenerate in humans (for now), there is a lot we can do to remap the brain to allow for improved physical function.

Today I explain some of the mechanisms on brain injuries/CP that I’ve learned from classes and lab time here. Then I touch on why and how this could be important for helping other people with CP- (many more episodes on this coming on this topic in the future). I also talk about life in NYC and my physical training updates- including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and running.

Stay tuned for future episodes coming out on the 1st of every month!

Find Charlie:

Instagram: charlie.graffius

Today my guest is Dylan Tanguay. Dylan is a personal trainer, gymnast, rock climber, a super smart guy, and a great friend. 

We talk about strength and conditioning in terms of concepts as well as from a coaching perspective. We also dive into the importance of reading randomized control trials to avoid getting caught up in the trendy nonsense in the fitness world. The interview even takes a turn to explain our toothpaste preferences and our thoughts on fluoride. 

I hope you all enjoy and learn something from this wide ranging conversation.

Find Dylan:

On Episode 15 of the Movement Fluidity Podcast we bring on Ian Markow from Markow Training Systems.

Ian is an awesome guy who has a very extensive knowledge of all things human movement. I found out about Ian through his social media presence and online video video library called the Elite Video Membership. These classes combine Functional Range Conditioning (FRC), Postural Restoration (PRI), Gary Ward’s foot work, and more to build long lasting strength/mobility and restore efficient human movement.

The more I learn about human movement, the more important I am finding these concepts to be. Fancy techniques to improve movement fluidity can be beneficial, but mastering the basics of pelvic/rib cage alignment and muscular “co-contractability” need to be at the forefront of all programming. Ian and David Grey have been incredible to learn from, I hope you all can experience a bit of the same!

Find Ian-

In this Episode of The Movement Fluidity Podcast, I interview Richard Finn. Richard is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist, and author of Trigger Point Therapy Made Simple: Serious Pain Relief in 4 Easy Steps. He is an experienced Pain Relief Specialist with a history of working in the health wellness and fitness industry.

Richard starts by explaining his story of how chronic headaches got him interested in the world of myofascial pain. Then, he explains the 4 step process for decreasing trigger point pain which includes treating the spine, flossing the nerve, treating the trigger points, and gently moving.

It was a drastic career shift for Richard to begin work with the severely impaired Cerebral Palsy population (mostly non-verbal), but myself and others are glad he is bringing his expertise to this population! Frequency Specific Microcurrents (FSM) and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) are 2 related modalities which he has found great success with. Make sure to stay until the end of the episode to find out the tool he uses for quick relief in localized spasticity!

Find Richard:

Facebook: Richard Finn

Linkedin: Richard Finn

Christainpainmanagement.com

Today’s guest is Lesley Hoey who is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) where she works with the geriatric population, and is specifically interested in pelvic floor health. Lesley’s history includes skilled work in prevention, manual therapy, injury prevention, chronic pain, and fitness. This episode covers Lesley’s background and her holistic approach to training. The main focus for this episode is about fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle factors that impact the fascial system. As a Fascial Fitness Master Trainer, Lesley shares a ton of practical knowledge that is backed by research to improve the health of your fascia, body, and mind.

I first met Lesley when she taught a course on Fascial Fitness. This methodology was created by the German fascial researcher Robert Schleip and his wife Divo Müller. This system combines the latest research on fascia with exercise to get various desired responses. The four principles used are stretch, bounce, refine, and release. I have placed an emphasis on refinement for improving interoception/awareness, and bounce for increasing the strength of my connective tissue (specifically tendons).

Links:

In today’s episode, I interview Michael Leary who is a Human Development Coach here in Portland, Maine. Michael has been a role model for me in the last few months and I am super excited to bring him on the show. Enjoy this episode which is a Q&A style where we go back and forth about our experiences and perspectives on things. Some of the topics we talk about include our purpose in life, how we deal with setbacks, and our best adventure.

Michael takes a holistic approach to improving the “whole human” experience with exercise, nutrition, breath work, goal setting, and more. He is always posting useful content on social media that will improve your day. Check out the links below to find out more from him! He is also the host of the Whole Human Podcast and co-host of the Curiosity Game Podcast.

Today my guest is Olivia McAnirlin, who I met during my undergraduate research work through INBRE at Colby-Sawyer College. Olivia is now a Ph.D. candidate and lab manager at the Virtual Reality and Nature Lab at Clemson University in South Carolina. There, they simulate the effects of being in nature for people who cannot safely spend time outdoors, such as the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) population.

The topics in this episode revolve around the physical and mental benefits of being outside. This includes a decrease in cortisol/stress, blood pressure, muscle tension, and more. Combining exercise in nature is a win-win, but even “Forest Bathing” where you spend quiet time outside focusing on sights, smells, sounds, etc. will result in these benefits.

Another suggestion that Olivia gave is to start a journal where you log the amount of time spent outside per week. Especially in the winter months, it is easy to go days without much time outside. I have begun using this idea to hold myself accountable for getting some natural vitamin D and all of the benefits that she mentioned above. I have been aiming for a minimum of 60 minutes outside per day, even in the winter.

To find out more about Olivia’s lab:

Welcome back to the Movement Fluidity Podcast. Today’s guest is David Lesondak, who is one of the very brightest and most influential individuals in the world of Fascia. David is a manual therapist and an Allied Health Member at The Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is also an author, and the host of the Body Talk Podcast, which was a major inspiration to the creation of my podcast. David has been generous enough to give my listeners a discount code for his most recent book, the second edition of “Fascia- What it is and why it matters”. This book is geared towards fitness and medical professionals. I’ve absolutely loved reading this book, and often go back to check on different parts. It lays out the foundational elements of fascia, and merges into how you can apply what we have learned from science so far.

In today’s episode, we touch on a wide variety of topics. We start by talking about the Fascia Congress in Montreal earlier this year, going deep into the research and new additions such as FR:EIA (see link at bottom of page). We also talk about the science of fascia, misconceptions with foam rolling/massage work, and fascia in the client with Cerebral Palsy. I took what I learned in his book to ask David how these concepts would impact the CP population. The main topics that we go into for this are cold therapy, and vibrational stimulation.

Link to the Body Talk Podcast: https://anchor.fm/david-lesondak

Link and discount code to David’s New  Book: Fascia- What it is and why it matters (Second Edition) 30% OFF FOR THE REST OF 2022!!!

In this episode I interview Mariana Barreto, the Founder and Director of We Flow Therapy. Mariana is a Manual Osteopath, Craniosacral Practitioner, and Physical Therapist originally from Venezuela, and now runs her practice in Canada. She uses an alternative therapeutic approach to Cerebral Palsy (CP) which focuses on the remodeling of the connective tissue or fascia. We talk about the impact on fascia caused by brain injuries, the role of biotensegrity, and other related topics.

In the past, physical therapy for patients with CP has revolved around targeting the specific spastic muscles with stability (casts & braces) and end range stretching. This approach can manage symptoms in the short term, but in my experience does not cause lasting effects. It is great to see the research and understanding of this mechanism coming out. Mariana’s approach is different from the traditional approach, as she goes deeper to treat the underlying issue for what causes spasticity.  Her work with building up the fascial system through stimulating fibroblasts has shown incredible, long lasting results with children ranging from mild to severely impaired.

Mariana mentions how another way to signal fibroblasts to remodel the fascia is through strength training. This is what has done wonders for my body to decrease spasticity. I will expand on the topic of strength training for CP and other neurological conditions in future episodes!

Follow Charlie:

Instagram: @charlie.graffius

Find Mariana:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weflowtherapy/

In this episode, I explain what movement fluidity means to me. Fluid movement is the key to athleticism and pain free living. I dive into the science of energy efficiency, biomechanics, muscular firing sequence, and more. Then, I share what has worked for me to turn my herky jerky movements into smooth and fluid movements. In Episode 1, I talk about my story of being born with Cerebral Palsy to competing in collegiate tennis. Figuring out ways to move more efficiently has been a big part of my success, and I am still experimenting on myself as well as applying these concepts to clients. This episode goes deeper into how I was able to improve my movement mechanics to play sports at a higher level than was thought to be possible by medical professionals.

Takeaways:

• The best athletes in the world have the fastest contraction and relaxation rates, it is not all about maximum force
• To create maximal tension and faster contraction rates, push the tongue into the roof of your mouth
• Matching up rhythm of music with movement can increase fluidity
• Stay tuned for more information about how I plan to redefine dynamic mobility work

In this episode, I interview Charles Barnard, creator of the Growth Mindset Training Academy. Charles goes over a variety of topics involving having a mindset for success. He explains what the best in any field have in common, and how to get there. If you have ever wondered about how to use visualization and manifestation to reach your goals, this is the episode for you!

Episode Description

In this episode, I explain how to use nutrition to improve the health of the brain.

I explain the downfalls of the standard American diet, the 90% rule, and why there are better options to counting macronutrients. I also give you a few actionable tools to take away; replacing processed foods with added sugars and vegetable oils with healthy fats and natural sugars will improve the function of the brain and body.

There is an endless amount of information on nutrition, much of which is very controversial. This episode dives into my general understanding on how I approach my food intake from a balanced perspective to improve brain function. I will dive deeper into specific topics about nutrition in future episodes.

If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review on the platform of your choice! Now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Podcasts, Anchor.fm, . You can now donate to help fund future episodes of the podcast by clicking the link below:

https://anchor.fm/charlie-graffius/support

Follow Charlie:

Instagram: @movementfluidity @charlie.graffius

Resources for valid information on nutrition:

Episode Description

In this episode, I explain the concept of neuroplasticity and how humans have the ability to change the circuitry in our brains.

If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review on the platform of your choice! Now available on Anchor.fm, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Follow Charlie:

Instagram: @movementfluidity @charlie.graffius