The Joanne Avison Podcast
The Joanne Avison Podcast is a journey into Spiritual Science, examining the sacred geometry of human form and motion and how the Fascia Matrix changes all we thought we knew about human bodies. Reflecting on her rich experience as a movement and manual therapy practitioner, Certified Archetypal Consultant, ordained minister and Doctor of Spiritual Science; Joanne challenges our assumptions of human anatomy, and asks us to consider the "Humans Being" as intimately relating "soma to soul" such that they can't really be useful separated. Joanne animates the true meaning of practical spirituality and the patterns of (our) body and being as one!! Told through artful storytelling and conversations with scientists, researchers, teachers, clients and curious fellow beings; this podcast will spark your curiosity of humans “being in bodies”, and inspire your life-long inquiry into who you really are.
The Joanne Avison Podcast
Stretching, Fascia and the Problem With Misread Science
Joanne is joined by clinical anatomist John Sharkey to unpack why stretching, fascia and strength are so often misunderstood in modern fitness, rehabilitation and movement training. Together they examine how misread science can lead to harmful assumptions about flexibility, myofascial release and long-term tissue health.
The conversation centres on a widely discussed research paper on long-duration static stretching and strength. Joanne and John carefully clarify what the study does and does not show, exploring why increases in muscle girth do not automatically equate to functional strength, and how neural adaptation, fluid shifts and injury repair are often mistaken for true training effects.
They discuss fascia science, biomechanics, functional movement and therapeutic exercise through a clinical lens, highlighting the dangers of extrapolating extreme laboratory conditions into everyday practice. This episode challenges common flexibility myths and reframes stretching as a question of physiology, neurology and context, not force or endurance.
This conversation will be especially relevant for movement teachers, physiotherapists, manual therapists, trainers and anyone interested in fascia training, mobility exercises and therapeutic movement. It offers a grounded, nuanced perspective on how the body adapts and why better questions matter when interpreting research.
The paper discussed is ‘Influence of Long-Lasting Static Stretching on Maximal Strength, Muscle Thickness and Flexibility’, 2022.
If this episode sparks questions or reflections, we invite you to share them in the comments on our YouTube channel, where we love hearing from you and we always respond.
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Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman