Become a dedicated follower of fascia

IT’S THE WORD BEING WHISPERED BY DOCTORS, TRAINERS, YOGIS AND MASSEUSES ALIKE. BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS FASCIA AND HOW MUCH ATTENTION DOES IT DESERVE? AS IT TURNS OUT, PLENTY...

For years, it seems as though scientists researching pain, movement and recovery have been doing the anatomical equivalent of paving over paradise to put up a parking lot (thanks, Joni Mitchell). They have tossed fascia, the shiny, webby tissue that covers ‘the important stuff’ – ie muscles, nerves and organs – into the theoretical bin as an irrelevance. But as our understanding of our bodies’ complex processes evolves, it seems this long over looked part of our anatomy may hold some of the answers they’d been seeking. Overall, the consensus is growing that fascia has a key role to play in our fitness, performance and general health.

But before getting into all that fascia does, you have to first understand what it is. Imagine an orange: if the peel is like your skin, then the white stuff beneath it – the thready film that surrounds each wedge, holding them all together in one sphere

– is like your fascia. This connective web-like substance is made primarily of collagen fibres, as well as gelatin-like glycoproteins (which hold water like a sponge) and other cells, such as fat cells. Its main job is to keep your internal bits – muscles, joints, tendons, bones, all of it – in place. Layers of this amazing tissue run through your body. If your fascia were to be separated from your body, it would look a lot like a webby wetsuit

covering everything from your skull to your fingertips and your toes.

But why is fascia in the spotlight? For one, new tools are letting researchers measure precisely what it’s doing when it’s inside your body (versus looking at the dried-up version from cadavers). This is combined with a shift towards functional medicine and fitness – or considering the body as a whole rather than focusing on individual areas – becoming more widespread, with practitioners taking a closer look at the threads that bind every part of your body.

‘Fascia is one of the most important and pervasive systems, because it connects every other system together,’ says Rebecca Pratt, professor of anatomy at Oakland University, US. First and foremost, healthy fascia is crucial to easy daily movement and exercise performance. Ever been so tight from sitting in one position for too long that your lunchtime run feels like a shuffle in cling film? That’s your fascia complaining – prolonged sitting can cause the oncesupple fibres to stick in place, while chronic stress can trigger them to thicken in an attempt to protect the muscle underneath.

Fascia is also key to recovery from injury, because it weaves between vessels and supports blood flow. What’s more, because it’s been found that fascia contains cells that communicate with one another, as well as other cells in your body, researchers think this tissue might be the channel through which conditions such as autoimmune diseases or cancer spread. ‘If a cell doesn’t hear proper job signals and goes rogue, it can leave the fascia and move into a place it’s not supposed to be, doing things it’s not supposed to do,’ says Pratt.

If you’re looking to boost your running performance, then it pays to make fascia your friend. When fascia is properly gel-like – ie hydrated, strong and relaxed – your muscles receive more oxygen and contract fully, as well as slide over each other without friction to produce more force. That upgrade means you’ll run more efficiently. So how do you take care of a physiological system that’s so vital to your existence? Stick to our guide on the following pages.•

1. STRETCH EACH MORNING

Even a quick forward fold can help break up collagen in your fascia, allowing more oxygen to hit your muscles and setting you up for better movement all day long. To reduce tension, hold stretches for at least two minutes. Or hit the mat: yin yoga (or fascial yoga) keeps you in poses for about twice as long. Stuck at a desk all day? No1 Fitness founder and fascia specialist Harry Thomas suggests doing a frog stretch to open up your hips.

2. MOVE DIFFERENTLY

‘Movement is key for the health and hydration of fascia,’ says Thomas. But if you’re always moving in the same way (by, say, just running), some areas will be neglected. ‘You want to be challenging the body in different planes,’ he says. Think about getting away from the midline – by turning lunges into lateral lunges, for example.’ If this sounds a bit complicated, just add a new cross-training activity to your schedule, so you move in different ways.

3. EAT MORE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

High levels of inflammation throughout the body can infiltrate the fascial tissue, causing pain. A diet that’s packed with fresh fruit and vegetables, and healthy fats, and light on processed foods (ie the typical Mediterranean diet) will help to minimise inflammation. Adding a daily collagen supplement might boost the collagen profile in your fascia, too, further strengthening the web.

4. DRINK UP

If you’re dehydrated, your fascia will be dry and brittle, not wet and spongy as it should be. The consequence: compromised mobility. Even your skin can look dull when your fascia isn’t hydrated, because the superficial fascia (the layer closest to the surface) gives skin its healthy tone. Down your eight glasses daily – plus a glass or two extra on days when you’ve been running, to replace what you lose in sweat.

5. HOP TO IT

Fascial tissue stores more kinetic energy than any other type of tissue – it’s kangaroos’ spring-like fascia, not their powerful muscles, that enables them to catapult themselves 12 metres in one hop. Because of this relationship between energy and fascia, experts think plyometrics (explosive movements, such as box jumps) make your fascia more durable and resilient by increasing its density. Three times a week, spend up to five minutes doing hopscotch over an agility ladder, or do three sets of 10-20 jump squats.