I want to talk to you a bit about fascia today. Simply put, fascia is collagen-based connective tissue that surrounds our muscles and helps bind them to our bones, but it is also so much more than that. It is actually similar to muscle tissue in that it can actually contract. It also has the ability to build more of itself, which it does in muscle injury and strain circumstances.

Fascia basically gives our body it’s shape, but also allows energy transfer from one area of the body to the next. So….why the heck should you be concerned about your fascia (or even continue reading this article)? Over time, your fascia actually modifies itself to the way your body is positioned on a daily basis. That means if you have the posture of a turtle, your fascia adapts to this and actually will stiffen to compensate for weak anatomical areas. So when you try to straighten up, the connective tissues are resistant to your “new” posture and you’ll have difficulty staying in this new position.

We all know we slump at the computer keyboard after five minutes – HA! Caught you didn’t I! And we all know that bad posture is not good for optimal range of motion and movement. Plus, mom always said to sit up straight, right? None of us wants to end up with the “old-person-hunch”, so you better start taking care of business now, don’t you think?

The easiest way to give your fascia some love is by foam rolling. You know, those long ‘noodle’ looking things at the gym that you see people rolling around on. These are tools that can stretch the fascia and work out any knots, adhesions, and scar tissue that may be present. Since the fascia is malleable, it can be modified by continually working it with this type of easy soft-tissue work.

You have fascia from head to to – literally. There is a fascial sheath that runs from the top of your head down through your ankles. You think that having knots/adhesionsin those tissues might cause you some movement issues? You betcha!

So what the heck do you do with the noodle? Well, here’s a great short video that will show you the basics.

Foam Rolling 101

For more information on how to ‘self-help’ your fascia, you could also see your local personal trainer and I bet he’d have some good ideas for you!

That’s all for this week. Remember that your muscle health depends on your fascia health, and don’t neglect this area in your training.