Ep 75: The Core is Key: Movement, Milestones, and Infant Development with Shelley Mannell, Physiotherapist

I’m joined today by Shelley Mannell, pediatric physiotherapist from St. Catharines, Ontario, and champion of the concept that core stability is key for movement, infant development, and emotional regulation.

In this conversation, Shelley and I explore:

• How infant developmental milestones are just the beginning of the story

• Why core stability supports postural control, balance, and sensory processing 

• How the recruitment of core muscles is as crucial for post-partum moms and babies alike

• The unintended consequences of “Back to Sleep” and what to do to balance this out

• Understanding movement for children with neuromotor differences and neurodiversity

• Tummy time and babywearing

  
  

Shelley Mannell is a mentor, physiotherapist, and international speaker who co-created Dynamic Core for Kids, an evidence-based approach to central stability for children with motor and sensory differences. Through teaching, mentorship, and clinical practice, Shelley has shared her knowledge and experience with clinicians and families internationally.

You can find her on Instagram and Facebook at @heartspacept, on HeartspacePT’s learning platform, https://heartspacept.thinkific.com/, and at her website, https://heartspacept.com.  Her course for pediatric therapists, Foundation for Function: Understanding Dynamic Systems in Postural Control is available at https://heartspacept.thinkific.com/courses/foundation-for-function

Shelley's course ,Dynamic Core for Kids: Stability in Action, co-taught with Julie Wiebe, PT, is available at  https://heartspacept.thinkific.com/courses/dynamic-core-for-kids-stability-in-action

Mentioned in today’s episode:

• Julie Wiebe, California-based sports medicine and women’s health physiotherapist, and co-creator of Dynamic Core for Kids, and Pediatric Pelvic Health: Dynamic Core for Kids Edition

• Paul Hodges, Australian researcher of central stability, https://shrs.uq.edu.au/profile/157/paul-hodges

• Karen Adolph https://as.nyu.edu/faculty/karen-adolph.html

  
  

  What you can do next:

• Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend!  Provide a review on Apple Podcasts.  It truly makes a difference to reaching families who would benefit from understanding their baby’s sleep better.

• Sign up for weekly baby sleep emails.⁠ https://heatherboyd.activehosted.com/f/1

• Book a screening call with Heather (Occupational Therapy receipts are provided for families from most provinces in Canada)

Credits: 🎵 Music: Jordan Wood