When my daughter eats grapefruit, she peels off and throws away that pithy membrane under the peel that separates each section, so she can get to the good stuff! The human body is like a grapefruit. Our skin is similar to the peel. Our muscles and organs are like the fleshy fruit, and we have something called fascia that is like the pithy membrane. For decades, doctors and scientists who studied cadavers, would simply peel off and throw away the fascia, so they could get to the stuff they really wanted to study! Thankfully, over time, people have come to understand more about fascia and the impact it can have on our fitness and health.
What is fascia?
“Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place” (Johns Hopkins Medicine). Fascia consists of several layers, with a liquid called hyaluronan in between. It’s slippery and smooth; it’s firm but flexible; and it has nerves that make it sensitive like our skin.
Fascia wraps, separates, and holds our entire body together. It supports our muscles, allowing them to contract and stretch. It allows individual body organs, muscles, vessels, and fibers to slide against one another without friction and tearing. It’s designed to stretch when we move, but when the liquid between its layers dries up, the fascia becomes sticky, clumpy, and tight. It begins to stick to our muscles, creating knots and causing limited mobility, stiffness, and pain. When we’re in pain, we usually think muscles or joints, not fascia. In fact, MRI’s and Cat Scans cannot easily detect it, so fascia problems often get overlooked.
What causes unhealthy fascia?
Lack of movement is one common cause of unhealthy fascia. Anything that limits movement, from an arm in a cast to a sedentary lifestyle.
Repetitive movement is another culprit. Any repetitive activity that overworks a specific muscle or muscle group and leaves others weakened.
Dehydration, as well as poor posture, trauma, and stress, are other common causes of unhealthy fascia.
What can we do to keep our fascia healthy?
Drink liquids, move, and stretch! Although many sources suggest treatments like myofascial release, massage therapy, and acupuncture for fascia problems, most also agree that the best at home prevention and treatment methods involve a combination of movement, stretching, and hydration.
Unhealthy fascia sticks to internal body parts, so gentle movement is key to avoid greater damage. Imagine removing a Band-Aid that’s been on for a while. And the entire body is connected by fascia, so every single body part must be moved and stretched. Essentrics® is a full-body workout, and the trademark exercises consist of large, gentle, flowing movements that effectively loosen and rehydrate fascia, leaving you pain-free.
The next time you eat grapefruit, go ahead and peel of that pithy membrane. As you bite into the juicy flesh, think of the wonderful hydration you’re providing for your fascia. When you’re done, get up and move!
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