What is fascia?
Figure 1. Where your fascia is located
In recent years, there has been quite a bit of buzz in the movement therapy world about fascia. Is it something that was recently discovered?
Not really. Fascia – derived from Latin – means band, bundle, or bandage. A structural network that envelops our muscles, bones, tendons, and organs, the fascia is an omnipresent part of our body but has been regarded as an irrelevant component for decades since its discovery. However, recent in-depth studies on the fascia have revealed many important functions. It is not simply a unit that extends from one organ to another. It runs through the entire body, from the deepest regions to the outermost layer of skin. Fun fact: contrary to popular belief, the vast-stretching fascia – not skin – is the largest organ in the human body (at least by surface area)!
Function of fascia
Figure 2. Up-close high-resolution image of fascia
The fascia provides shape and structure to our body, alongside the musculoskeletal system. We can stay upright, and lift our limbs up against gravity, because our fascia contributes by holding everything together. Our organs stay in their position when we jump because this unique network wraps itself all around the organs to keep them where they’re meant to be!
How the fascia provides structure can be explained by the tensegrity model – a wooden structure kept in equilibrium with the help of elastic bands. Check out this short video to get a better idea of the tensegrity model:
Our body works in a similar manner, where the wooden structure represents our skeleton with elastic bands the equivalent of our fascia system.
The fascia is also our largest sensory organ! It helps us feel movements both internally and externally. There are many receptors in the fascia. These receptors (i.e., nociceptors, mechanoreceptors) are constantly sending messages to the central nervous system, feeding the brain with information about its activity.
Fascia can protect you too!
In the early 1970s, researchers found a peculiar cell in the fascial called myofibroblast. These cells can actively contract to increase the stiffness of the fascia. This unique quality helps keep the body stable. For example, the tendon in your Achilles needs to stiffen itself immediately to dampen the impact of landing, protecting your joints. Another example is how you could stiffen your abdominal muscles instantaneously if someone tries to punch you in the tummy.
Fasciae are not hard rigid structures; they can be changed. How do you change it? Move it! Moving the fascia makes it healthy again. As the saying goes, “Motion is Lotion, Rest is Rust”!
How do I know if my fascia is healthy or unhealthy?
Figure 3. Healthy fascia vs. unhealthy fascia
Picture: Anatomy Trains
Well, you will be able to move comfortably if you have healthy fasciae! However, if you have unhealthy fascia systems, your movements will be restricted and you may often experience discomfort or tightness. Researchers have found that healthy fascia is typically smooth and supple, while unhealthy fascia is crinkly and sticky (Figure 3).
But what causes unhealthy fascia? When you stay physically inactive and do not move enough, your fascia will stick together. This causes the muscle function to be limited, as the fiber bundles cannot glide past each other effortlessly. Sticky fascia affects the process of energy transfer between one muscle to the other. Ultimately, this impacts the coordination of the body. We end up using more effort and energy to move.
In addition, to prevent unhealthy fascia in the future, it is important to keep the soft tissues hydrated, by moving and drinking up. As we get older, we lose body water content, so we have to keep ourselves active!
Essentially, having healthy fasciae is important to provide us with greater range of motion and prevent injuries in the body.
Exercising the fascia
All forms of exercise (yoga, martial arts, running, swimming) train the fascia in one way or another. The word “fascia” has gained popularity over the last few years; “fascia training” or “fascia release” started to become a novel approach for movement workers. Now, we can use our newfound knowledge about fasciae and apply certain training principles to our routine(s).
You may be wondering why we need to exercise the fascia. Well, that is because we want to keep our fasciae in good shape to maintain and refine their elasticity and energy storage capacity. Yes, the fascia can store and release energy! However, if your fasciae is not in tip-top condition, they will not be able to do its job efficiently. Therefore, we need to exercise our fasciae to keep them healthy!
So, how do we exercise the fascia? In the next article, we’ll be covering four training principles you can apply to your everyday routine! Remember to follow us on our socials – Instagram and/or Facebook – for the latest updates! If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a WhatsApp message.
References:
- Myers, Thomas W. (2020) ANATOMY TRAINS: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists. S.L., Elsevier Health Sciences.
- Schleip, Robert, and Johanna Bayer. (2021) Fascial Fitness: Practical Exercises to Stay Flexible, Active and Pain Free in Just 20 Minutes a Week. Chichester, England, Lotus Publishing; Berkeley, California.
- Schleip, Robert, and Divo Gitta Müller. (2013) “Training Principles for Fascial Connective Tissues: Scientific Foundation and Suggested Practical Applications.” Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, vol. 17, no. 1, pp 103–115, doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2012.06.007.