Check out more content with movement specialist, Beth Lewis:Beth Lewis is a former professional dancer and a self-described “educator of movement” who has an unmatched ability to assimilate information and customize training plans from multiple training systems. In this episode, Beth takes us through how she identifies problematic movement patterns and postures to help individuals relieve pain, avoid injury, and move better within all types of exercise. She explains how movement is in fact a trainable skill and provides suggestions for what people can add to their exercise routine to benefit their health and longevity. Note: In addition to the extensive show notes, for this episode Drive members also get a collection of 9 instructive exercise videos where Peter & Beth demonstrate several of the exercises and assessments discussed during the episode. If you’re a subscriber, you can now view these videos at the bottom of this page (make sure you are logged in). If you are not a member, you can learn more about the member benefits here.Subscribe on: APPLE PODCASTS | RSS | GOOGLE | OVERCAST | STITCHERVIDEOWe discuss:Beth’s “way of no way” training philosophy [4:45]Beth’s background in dancing and how she ended up in New York City [7:30]Beth’s transition to fitness coaching and how her training philosophy has evolved [12:45];Functional Range Conditioning and scapular mobility [21:50];An overview of Postural Restoration Institute, and Peter’s squat assessment [35:30];The important connection between the ribs and breathing [39:45];The role of sitting and external stress in chronic muscular tension [42:30];The important role of your toes, minimalist footwear, and toe yoga [44:30];Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) [48:30];A different view on knee valgus [52:45];Is there such a thing as “bad posture”? [56:30];How Beth identifies an issue, addresses it, and keeps clients motivated [58:45];Lifting weights, the Centenarian Decathlon, and dancing into old age [1:11:00];The importance of the hamstrings versus abs [1:21:15];Benefits of rowing, and why everyone should add it to their exercise regimen [1:27:15]Different roles of concentric versus eccentric strength [1:35:15];Flexibility and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) [1:39:40];Training versus playing sports, and the best type of activity for kids [1:43:00]; andMore.§ Sign up to receive Peter's expertise in your inbox Sign up to receive the 5 tactics in my Longevity Toolkit, followed by non-lame, weekly emails on the latest strategies and tactics for increasing your lifespan, healthspan, and well-being (plus new podcast announcements). Beth’s “way of no way” training philosophy [4:45]Resemblance of Beth’s approach to Bruce Lee’s approach to martial artsBruce Lee’s approach was agnostic to form or discipline, extracting valuable components from a variety of disciplinesSimilarly, Beth is not partial to a single disciplineHer approach draws from a variety of disciplines including: Beth’s background in dancing and how she ended up in New York City [7:30]Beth’s dancing careerShe participated in a variety of activities as a kid, including gymnastics, martial arts, soccer, and swimmingAfter switching majors her junior year of college, she earned a degree in dance performanceShe danced professionally for four years with a dance company named PilobolusThis dance company is known for creating an athletic style of dance referred to as weight shifting The dance technique was “actually quite similar to the way I teach to lift weights. It’s about sharing the load and working with the weight.”See this article for more about Pilobolus and the weight-sharing dance technique they developedBeth did not like the frequent travel associated with professional dancing, which is what led her to change professionsFigure 1. Pilobolus dance theatre. Image credit: pilobolus.org Beth’s transition to fitness coaching and how her training philosophy has evolved [12:45]Transition to trainingBeth was a fitness trainer prior to becoming a professional dancerBroadway didn’t appeal to her, so she decided to return to fitness trainingShe split her time training clients between a few modes:Private 1 on 1 in general strength and conditioningGroup classes And then she got into rowing and started teaching classes at CITYROWEvolution in her philosophy on exercise training{end of show notes preview}Would you like access to extensive show notes and references for this podcast (and more)?Check out this post to see an example of what the substantial show notes look like. Become a member today to get access.Become a MemberBeth LewisBeth is a former professional dancer and a self-described “educator of movement” who has an unmatched ability to assimilate information and customize training plans from multiple training systems. She grew up in a small town in South Georgia where she was a competitive gymnast, swimmer, dancer, soccer player and martial artist. Beth received her undergraduate degree in Dance Performance from The University of Georgia and then joined with Pilobolus where she spent 4 years touring the world dancing. After retiring from dance, Beth moved to NYC to really dive into health and wellness, and has worked with a variety of gyms, including being the Programming Director of CityRow. Her continuing education in Functional Range Conditioning, Postural Restoration, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, and applied neurology has turned her into a strength coach with non-traditional methods.Instagram: @bethlewisfit
