Fascia is an unbelievably important factor of our physiology, therefore, fascia mobility is essential for all people (not just athletes and dancers!). But what is fascia?
Fascia is the connective tissue that literally holds us together! It connects your entire body together, surrounding every muscle, myofibril and even your intestines. Because it connects your entire body, fascia will reveal how imbalances or pain or triggers in one are of your body will affect another.
When we hold tensiona nd trauma in our fascia and don't work through it, we can set our body up for injury, strain and more emotional stress. Foam rolling is not just a physical 'workout' but an internal relaxor.
What we must understand about fascia is that it needs to be hydrated in order to be manipulated, but foam rolling with the incorrect technique (lying in one place instead of moving around) can actual be counter-beneficial! Correct foam rolling is about learning to 'shear' the layers of connective tissue. This allows the fluid to flush through the area rather than be driven out. It's about mobilising within your skeletal structure and not compressing (like many people do when they stretch) and is why myofascial therapy is about movement because this manipulates the gentle ease of a tension area.
Foam rolling daily is like prerequsite to avoiding injury because it constantly supports the flushing of toxin build up in the body and promotes mobilisation in ways that stretchign doesn't reach. A simple task of a 15 min foam rolling session is a gentle and yet effective mobilisation and movement to begin your day. It's gentle and yet effective. And if you needed another reason to add foam rolling to your morning habits ~ it also stimulates relaxation and stress reduction because it rolls against the Golgi tendon organs (neural receptors) which switches off muscle tension. This in turn increases circulation because blood flow is re#energised and promotes to further flushing of toxins and general relaxation.
If you'd like a foam rolling tutorial, let me know and I'd be happy to film one!
You can find out more about foam rolling and fascia through these resources...
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