Eight years later and still “Fascia-nated”

It’s been eight years since I first blogged on the topic of fascia.

runner stretching arms in sun

I found it absolutely fascinating.  Since then, researchers around the world have been studying fascia and what they are learning, I believe, will make a giant impact in the health and wellness industry.

Eight years ago, not too many were familiar with the term “fascia”. But today, it’s becoming somewhat familiar in our everyday-joe vocabularies.

Once thought of as simply “duct tape” that held muscles to bones, we now know that fascia is an organ system in and of itself. It is ubiquitous in our bodies. It is in and surrounds every cell.  Fascia gives our body its shape. Without it, we would be a puddle of liquid and bones on the floor. REALLY!

Ok – so why should you care?

Here are some highlights of what we need to know about fascia:

• Fascia is present from the most surface level in our bodies (skin), to the deepest cellular level.

• Fascia encapsulates all of our tissues and organs – including the brain.

• Healthy fascia is wet. It can be saturated up to 70% water.

• Fascia contains nerves that through chemical messaging can send pain signals.

• Fascia appears to be influenced by the “fight or flight” mechanism. This may be one explanation of how we store emotions in our fascia.

What does all of this boil down to?

It is impossible to do anything with your body that doesn’t involve fascia. This means that caring for your fascia is an important part of your wellness strategy. While there is SO MUCH interesting research being carried out on fascia – even as you read this – what we are learning is that caring for your fascia (e.g. your whole person health), is really pretty simple.

Here’s the down and dirty

1. Stay hydrated. You and your fascia need to be fluid in order to glide, move, resist aging, repair wounds, repel illness, digest, see and think. (for more on hydration, check out my book for Benefits of Water A to Zit).
2. Exercise. The properties of fascia are actually trainable. A well-rounded exercise program will help keep you and your fascia in tip-top shape.
3. Stretch. While this is part of a well-rounded exercise program, stretching is so important, particularly as we age, that it deserves its own bullet-point. For a fun description of why, check out Gil Hedley giving the “Fuzz Speech”.
   This is what’s great about incorporating a practice such as yoga or Tai Chi into your routine. These methods encourage whole body stretching, which let’s face it, when left on our own, we tend to neglect.
4. Rest. That’s right. Fascia, like all living things, requires rest in order to rejuvenate and repair. This might mean resting a day or two between full-body exercise bouts. Or for those who like to exercise daily, trying a variety of types of exercise throughout the week. For example: Swimming, cycling, resistance training, walking, yoga, Pilates.

It’s really very simple but the rewards are enormous

• Improved elasticity of skin, mobility of joints, and efficiency of all physiological systems.

• Decreased pain.

• Reduction in falls, illness, stiffness and sluggishness.

• Renewed vibrancy, buoyancy and vitality.

Yep! All from giving your fascia the love and respect it deserves.

I hope you’ve found this “fascia-nating”!

Until next time,

Be well

P.S.  If you would like to learn more about this amazing system have a look at the documentary, The mysterious world under the skin | DW Documentary

For more detailed information on how fascia transverses the body, see Anatomy Trains by Thomas Meyers.

P.P.S. To revisit my blog from eight years ago click here.