Fascia is becoming a popular term now. People used to overlook this very important system. There are four different kinds of fascia. Structural, intersectoral, visceral, and spinal. But they are all connected. Your fascia provides a framework. It helps support and protects individual muscle groups, organs, and the entire body as a unit.
Here is a quick fascia health test you can do. Use your thumb and forefinger. Try to pinch your skin together on the back of your hand. You will know how fascia bound the area under your skin is by pinching. Healthy fascia will make it easy for you to pinch the skin. You have unhealthy fascia in those areas if you find it difficult to pinch the skin together.
Treating your fascia can take time. There are several ways to improve them. You might want to try out the following.
- 10-minute stretches daily
You can release tension in your muscles by stretching. It elongates your muscles which is an element of the fascia. Do not force yourself into a deepness or position that causes you pain or discomfort. Try holding stretches for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Arm stretches and leg stretches are both great. There are also desk stretches you can do at work.
- Mobility program
Mobility work addresses the body’s fascia. Foam rolling will help break down the fascia. As well as myofascial work and manual therapy. It will help you have more fluid motion. Movement Vault is one mobility-specific program. It provides online sequences and routines. It improves the mobility of the body.
- Roll out your tight spots
Foam rolling is a great way to check-in with your body to pinpoint where you have tight fascia. It helps you determine where your fascia holds tension. Get onto the roller and your muscles will let you know. Sit and work on a spot when you hit a trigger point or tight spot. About 30 to 60 seconds will be about right. This will help restore the fascia to optimal health.
- Visit the sauna
Fascia loves both internal and external heat. It increases circulation and puts the fascia in a more pliable, receptive state. You can achieve internal heat through exercise. The external heat is something like a sauna or a hot shower. A steam room or heating pad will also do. Saunas are more accessible and used than ever before. Both traditional steam saunas and infrared saunas offer great benefits. It decreases delayed onset muscle soreness and improved exercise recovery. Infrared saunas ability to penetrate the neuromuscular system promotes recovery. Sitting in the sauna for half an hour increases a woman’s levels of human growth hormone or HGH. It helps our bodies break down fats and build muscle.
- Apply cold therapy
Cold therapy is good after a workout because it reduces the inflammation of your entire body. It restricts swelling. This includes cryofreeze and cryotherapy. The fascia is right below your skin. You do not want inflammation, especially in your fascia. The coolness can help with inflammation. You can also apply cold therapy without a cryotherapy tank. You can do this by using a cold compress for 10 minutes and then removing it for at least 15 minutes. You can repeat this until you find relief.
- Massage it out with FasciaBlaster
The FASCIABLASTER is a tool for fascia blasting. It loosens up the fascia all over your body. It is like foam rolling with a more rigid and plastic exterior. Warm-up with a few minutes of cardio. You should use the tool on bare skin so you need to strip down. Use an oil, moisturizer, or lubricant to help the FasciaBlaster glide. Rub the tool over your skin in an upwards-downwards motion or sidewards. Fascia is all connected so you should blast the whole body. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated.
Fascia work is not something you do once in a while. Fascia makes everything continuous. You need to treat the body as a whole. You should spend half an hour improving the health of your fascia for every hour of your impact exercise.
