02.02.26 Fascia: What exactly is it?
Settle in because this is a going to be a long one. (lol) I think fascia is super cool and fascinating and that’s why I’m talking about it! Fascia is connective tissue that runs throughout the body, surrounding muscles, supporting joints, and helping transmit force as you move. It plays a key role in how your body feels, moves, and recovers. Fascia is woven between skin, fat and muscle throughout our body. When it becomes restricted, often from training or repetitive movement, or prolonged sitting, it can contribute to stiffness and reduced mobility.
There are three different types of fascia:
Superficial fascia - this type is more loosely arranged - think of a spider-web like fuzz under the skin and surrounding all tissues. If you pinch the top of your hand, that top layer under the skin is this type of fascia.
Deep - more densely arranged with thicker sheaths.
Visceral - the fascia surrounding the organs.
Unhealthy fascia is thick and sticky. That’s what causes the loss of mobility, reduced range of motion and then causes muscle pain and then leads to more of a bigger mess down the road.
Just 20 years ago fascia wasn’t really talked about. In fact, during human cadaver dissections, the doctors just threw the fascia to the side and didn’t really do anything with it. They didn’t realize at that time they could determine a person’s lifestyle just by looking at their fascia. The fascia that was smooth and not sticky was most likely of a human who was active and minimally sedentary. I’m going to just go ahead and quote Libby Hinsley, PT and say “MOTION IS LOTION”!
Don’t forget to move your body in all planes. Meaning, don’t be afraid to explore movement and move your body in weird fucking ways. This applies to your at home practice and in a studio. You might look weird but that’s OK. This is YOUR body. For real, I could give two shits about what somebody thinks of me if they have a problem with the way I move my body for my own benefit. There I said it.
Here are just a few suggestions:
Try stretching your arms reaching at a diagonal so you lubricate the fascia more into the upper arms and armpits.
Start in a tabletop position and step one foot out by your side body (toes can point out a bit) and start to make large circles with your hips. Move slow and gentle and really get into the nooks and crannies. Notice how you feel after you do that movement and hopefully feel less sticky in the hips.
Don’t forget your feet! Roll your foot around on a tennis ball or MFR ball. Do both feet.
If you are curious about fascia, you’ve got to check out a really cool dude named Gil Hedley, Ph.D. I learned about him in my YTT and he’s one of the go-to people in the fascia world. If you’re not squeamish, check out his YouTube video called “Gil Hedley: The Fuzz Speech”.