Fascia is a tensional force transmission system and can be found throughout the body as it envelops muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels, organs, joint capsules and ligaments and it also is interwoven in all these structures similar to a three-dimensional web.
Two thirds of the fascia is made up of water! Imagine a sponge- that is what our connective tissue should be. Mechanical load (dynamic stretching or movement) assists to squeeze water out and consequently it is replenished with new fluid. It is not enough to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, we need to move if we want to hydrate our connective tissues.
We all know of plantar fasciitis or tendinopathies. All these conditions are simply a clinical break down of our fascial network, which often occurs due to repetitive mechanical and psychological stresses, overtraining or simply not enough large movements!
Healthy fascia receives a daily and large variety of movement so it can stay hydrated, elastic, and resilient. Hence, we feel less stiff and heavy.
How do we train the fascia?
To stimulate elastic recoil, we introduce a gentle and direction varied form of jumping or bouncing, where we attempt to land softly and with control. We also need to swing our arms and allow the fascia to store this kinetic energy so it will recoil (bounce back).
To further assist hydration of the superficial and deep fascia, we use foam rollers or massage balls of all sizes and roll out our body suit.
We also look for multi angular stretches and apply mini bounces at the end of these ranges.
Finally, we practice listening to our moving body more closely (sensory feedback) and experience the fascia as a 6th sensory organ, communicating to us about where we are in space and thereby we are reducing chronic pain.
Check out “Fuzz Speech” by Gil Hedley on You Tube, he is a researcher with skills to make sense of stretching and fascia, it is well worth a peek!
