Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that envelops every organ, bone, muscle, blood vessel and nerve fiber, and keeps it all in place. As you can imagine, fascia health is extremely important. Performing exercises to strengthen the fascia can improve mobility, flexibility, and range of motion.
Wondering how to go about fascial training? The two most important practices you’ll want to know about are myofascial self-massage and fascial stretching.
Myofascial Self-Massage
Myofascial self-massage is the most well-known form of fascia training. When people mention fascia training, they are most likely referring to this practice.
Myofascial self-massage is all about trigger-point release through foam rolling to improve range of motion and performance. All you need is a CanDo® Foam Roller to stretch out the fascia and break down any build-up.
One myofascial release you can perform with the CanDo® Foam Roller is the hamstring exercise. Simply place your hamstrings on top of the CanDo® Foam Roller with your legs extended and your hands behind you for balance. Then, slowly roll down from the knee to glute and roll back up.
Fascial Stretching
A fascial stretch extends long-muscle fascia chains in all directions. This practice straightens out the web of connective tissue to create balance in the body. You don’t even need exercise tools to perform a fascial stretch. You are essentially just moving your body into unique positions to an actively loaded stretch.
One such stretch you can try is the downward-facing dog. To begin this stretch, start in a tabletop position and spread your fingers out wide. Then, lift your hips by pressing into your hands and bending your elbows and knees ever so slightly. Make sure you are raising your heels and tuck your chin in toward your chest. Hold this position for up to one minute before returning to the starting position.
Maintaining Balance with Fascia Training
Our whole bodies are connected by a structure of extremely flexible fasciae. It runs from the skin’s surface to the cells of connective tissue. It is important to practice fascia training to help improve your fascia, which will improve your balance and range of motion.
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Article written by William Graves.