Express News Service
Flossing is to teeth what fascia flossing is to the connective tissues in the body. If done correctly and consistently, the joint-cleaning technique helps release trauma that may have manifested as aches or
pains in the body, and provide muscular relief, while improving mobility. A somatic experience, fascia flossing is made of simple movements that rejuvenate the connective tissue or the fascia in the body, and is particularly beneficial to ease tight shoulders, a rigid back and a strained neck.
Deep dive
Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue surrounding the organs, bones, tendons, ligaments, nerve fibre, even brain matter, and holds it all in place. “Mostly made of collagen, it makes tissues strong enough to stretch easily. This is why healthy fascia is instrumental in flexibility and mobility,”says Delhi-based orthopaedic Varun Rai.
Sandwiched between the fascia’s layers is a potent liquid called hyaluronan, which provides elasticity. “When there is inflammation caused by injury, this liquid begins to dry, damaging the fascia, which causes tightness and stiffness, and limited muscular function that results in pain,” says Rai. The drying up of this liquid takes place in the same way when one is exposed to low-grade, long-term trauma or significant sudden traumatic events, according to a study titled Structural and Functional Changes in the Coupling of Fascial Tissue, Skeletal Muscle, and Nerves During Aging, published in the journal Frontiers of Psychology, in 2020.
Get started
Introduced by New York -based bodywork and biomechanical flexibility trainer Bonnie Crotzer, here are five foundational tissue-focused stretches. Repeat each exercise 10 to 30 times based on your comfort.
Upper-body floss
Come on your fours. Palms should be firmly pressed down, shoulders pulled back. Move backwards, while stretching the arms out as if you are sitting back. Feel the stretch and move forward, while pushing your shoulders forward of your elbows. According to Crotzer, it helps open the fascia around the upper back, lats, armpits and upper arms and is effective in moving stagnant lymph. Especially those with long desk hours should benefit from this exercise.
Shoulder floss
Got knots in the neck and shoulders? Try the upper shoulder floss that decreases compression in the neck and stretches the pectoral girdle that connects the upper limbs to the bones along the axis of your body simplify. Get yourself a comfortable pillow, cushion or mat and sit on it with your feet flat on the ground. Bring one knee up and place your dominant hand on the inner side of it so that the elbow touches the knee. With the other hand, hold the wrist of your dominant hand and push down, creating a stretch at the shoulder. If you feel a slight strain in your upper shoulder and neck region while performing the exercise, you’re doing it right.
TMJ relief
The secret to open your facial tissues, especially jaw muscles, lie in your quads. This is because the tissue of the jaw and quad are found on the same meridian or pathways through which the life-force or ‘qi’ flows, according to traditional Chinese medicine. Come on your back and keep your legs bent and feet on the floor. Cross your ankle over your left thigh. Now press the left knee into the right ankle for resistance, before gently pushing both legs over to the right side, feeling a stretch in your quads. Slowly come back to position and repeat with the other side.
Hamstring floss
Excellent to relieve lower back pain, the hamstring floss increases flexibility and range of motion in the hip. Start with a kneeling lunge and put out the right foot; the left leg stays back. Make sure your torso is upright and your arms straight by the sides of your shoulder and your hands taking the support of the ground slightly. Now lunge forward and then backwards feeling the stretch in the hamstrings.
Pelvic floss
Designed to release tension, stiffness and cramping in the pelvic area and the hip, this floss is especially recommended for women. Besides strengthening the main muscles under the uterus— pubococcygeus, ileococcygeus and ischiococcygeus—it is known to facilitate an emo tional release by relaxing chronically contracted muscles that hold suppressed energy. Asa result, some people may
find themselves welling up, according to Crotzer. Lie on the back and place a pillow under your head. Press your left foot into a wall. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh. Next, bring the right knee as close to the chest as possible, creating tension and then slowly take it back to place, feeling that stretch.
Get ready for a floss fix.
MORE ON THE MATTER
• The term fascia flossing was coined in 2019 by New York-based bodywork and biomechanical flexibility trainer Bonnie Crotzer.
• She introduced a tissue-focused movement routine called the Floss. This includes a range of stretches that can be done on your own, but given the technicality of it, Crotzer recommends they be done under the supervision
• In her words: “Fascia flossing describes the simultaneous elongation and contraction of major muscle groups dictated by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) meridians.” TCM meridians are points connecting major acupuncture points that are taken as passageways through which energy flows throughout the body. Elongating and contracting create what she calls ‘internal exfoliation,’ which breaks up old connective tissue and releases toxins stored in the fascia.
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