As you know I’ve been in Portland since Sunday, totally geeking out on fascia and Myofascial Release. Confused by that? Keep reading.
What is fascia? I could wax poetic about this for days #anatomynerd. But I’ll spare you and just provide the short answer. Fascia is a system of connective tissue that both surrounds and runs through every tissue in your body. For the purposes of this post, I’ll oversimplify it further and say to think about it as plastic wrap that encases every individual muscle and well as the individual muscle fibers.
What is Myofascial Release (MFR)? MFR is a term used to describe techniques designed to manipulate the muscles and fascia. There are many tools out there but my experiences and the training I’m currently in are focused specifically on self massage techniques that help maintain the health, quality, function, and hydration of the fascia as well as facilitating efficient gliding of the tissues over each other as you move.
Why do we care? Because your muscles are encased in, penetrated by, and bound together by fascia, the performance and mobility of your muscles is only as good as the quality of your fascia. So these MFR techniques are super helpful for maximizing the functional capacity of your body. With proper and consistent use, these techniques can relieve muscle tension, increase mobility, and aid in recovery.
I’ve been a fan of MFR for a while now. I carry a lacrosse ball with me wherever I go. It’s one of the main reasons why I was so drawn to this training here in Portland — I wanted to learn more valuable stuff to share with my clients, athletes, and students.
So for #favethingsfriday this week, I’m sharing with you something I just got my hands on at this training … these RAD Recovery Rounds. Slightly softer than a lacrosse ball (because less is more) and more durable and grippy than a tennis ball, these little guys are my new favorite toys.
If you’re interested in learning more about MFR to maintain the health of the soft tissues of your body for sports performance, tension relief, or recovery and injury prevention, stay tuned here for upcoming videos, workshops, and other content.