Fascia, a crucial yet often overlooked component of the human body, has captured the attention of health professionals and researchers alike. Even anatomists have recognized its existence, literally since before the Hippocratic oath. Yet, this seminal case was mostly ignored until the late 20th century. Today, researchers are just beginning to understand its role in health, mobility and quality of life.
Fascia is the connective tissue that binds together all of the body’s internal structures, wrapping itself around muscles, bones, and organs. Made up mostly of collagen, fascia is an elastic connective tissue that serves as a key player in keeping the body’s structure intact. Incredibly, about 70% of fascia is made of water — a crucial component for its function. Unlike muscle, this connective tissue circulating beneath your skin hydrates with the compressive movement of massage, pumping fluid through its moist layers. This process of hydration that allows for structural give and take is part of what contributes to the body’s elasticity, flexibility and resiliency.
Until the 1980s, fascia was frequently thrown away during human dissections until it started getting its due respect. This change in thinking opened up an entire new world of discoveries about how fascia plays an integral role in affecting posture, movement and proprioception. In addition, fascia adapts to repetitive tasks by trapping people in certain patterns of movement. Consequently, all that lies beyond these rote gestures develops more difficult.
Fascia has a highly dense network of nerve endings that allow it to detect movement, pressure and temperature changes. This remarkable sensory capacity allows fascia to adapt rapidly to specific physical demands. As a result, it deeply shapes the way people experience their bodies in motion.
Experts consider fascia to be one long and complete webbing. Just as tangerine segments are joined together, so too is the fascia permeating your body. This vital connection completes a dangerous circle of potential for pedestrian and motorist movement.
“The easiest way to describe fascia is to think about the structure of a tangerine.” – Kilian
Staying as active as possible is one of the most important keys to fascial health. The interconnected nature of fascia suggests that it affects how we move and that it can be affected by our movement as well. People of all capacities and activity levels are invited to continue moving in multiple directions and distances, ensuring that their “bubble” of mobility never becomes compromised or constricted.
“If I tell a group of people to raise their arms as far as they can, then take a breath and raise them higher, they’ll always go up another couple of inches – the reason being that we have an extended range of potential that we very rarely go into.” – Baker
These changes are particularly pronounced as people grow older, and seniors often experience a loss of range of motion. Needless to say, the value of participating in many different movements is essential. In her book, Baker drives this point home, explaining that when movement decreases with age, the connective tissue starts to lose its form-giving power.
“As we get older, we stop moving; that circle gets smaller. As the circle gets smaller, our connective tissue starts to get smaller, and that starts to limit us in what we can do.” – Baker
Preserving flexibility in movement is key to being functional later in life. Baker stresses that strength isn’t the end of the story. Possessing a full range of motion is just as critical.
“If I’m 85 and I want to reach up and grab a cup off a shelf, it’s not necessary to have strong back muscles – I want a full range.” – Baker
Fascia
What you can do
Minor modifications to everyday activities can have a positive impact on fascial health. Just altering how you type at the table can do wonders for your fascia. Encourages freedom of movement and flexibility, helping you feel healthier and more comfortable.
Kilian proposes that looking to the biomechanical nature of animals’ natural movement patterns can serve as a guide for fascial health.
“Think about how a cat or dog stretches – or even how we naturally yawn and move when we’re relaxed on holiday, stretching our arms out.” – Kilian
Foam rollers and other like products have been touted on the market as the saviors of fascial release. Overusing these proactive approaches, experts say, can do more harm than good. Baker notes that though these tools can help create more flexibility, they’re not a silver bullet.
“It’s not going to perform miracles for you or suddenly make you magically stronger.” – Baker