It's a BIG DEAL! Fascia is everywhere in the body. And we NEED to pay attention to it. Fascia, like us, needs to stay hydrated. HOW? With water & motion. So Fascia Health & Hygiene is, you guessed it...EXERCISE! Join the Building Fluid Strength classes and feel the difference!

Fascia operates like a hydraulic system. It responds to tension and release. Think of a kitchen sponge. When we squeeze or wring it out, water comes out of it's holes. When we release that tension, water gets sucked up into those holes. That's how it re-hydrates. Fascia needs intentional tension to pump the hydraulics of it's design in order to survive. We never want it to dry out, or run out of moisture, and get brittle. That creates issues in our tissues. Therefore, Motion is the lotion!

Fascia is connective tissue. It's the body's largest organ. It's superficial (on the surface) and deep inside the body (around organs, veins, bones). It's what holds us together. It's a structural component in our bodies, similar to components of architecture in buildings. It's firm and sinew-like in some places (IT Band), yet fluid in others. Over time, fascia has literally been thrown aside and disregarded. It was viewed as waste, or the 'gunky' gooey stuff that got in the way of surgeons learning the insides of the body. It has recently been gaining appreciation as one of our most important components to our physical wellbeing. Staying curious about fascia and it's many function has affected us in medical health, as well as mental health. For many individuals who have suffered from mysterious or certain symptoms, the fascia is usually at play, yet disregarded. Which makes perfect sense if we accept the fact that the medical field has not acknowledged fascia as part of our organ system to care for, treat and test. Fascia responds closely related to water, and hydration of the body. It is a communicator between brain & body. It is a transportation system of nutrients. It is enhanced by water. It can handle the electricity passing through the nerves, conducting messages for our somato-sensory system. It's a big deal. The body being 70% +/- water, if we disregard fascia health, we may be missing some basic fundamental hydraulic bodily operations that can effect the body as a whole. Disregarding fascia doesn't work. It doesn't go away. We do not want it to go away, yet we need to work with it. It's the relationship pathway to having a body.

Developed by Dr. Gary Gray, founder of the Gray Institute for Applied Functional Science, it is movement that is true to the way the body is designed, how it moves, and functions. Functional Movement is authentic to the task, sport or goal. It incorporates the unique characteristics each body innately has, and recognizes no bodies are the same, nor should they be treated the same. Functional Movement offers the worlds best care for body longevity, performance, injury prevention and rehabilitation.

I call it the 'AHHH Factor'...it's that soothing feeling that happens when you get in water, warm water. It's soothing. This feeling is literally the response from each and every nerve ending that gets stimulated when submerged. That effect on the nervous system helps to turn OFF our sympathetic nervous system, which is our pain and stress response, and helps turn up the volume on our parasympathetic nervous system. This results in a very pleasant reduction of pain, which makes moving in the water LESS painful than moving on land. If you're curious or thinking this sounds like a good idea, got for it! Get in touch with me today! Wait no longer to enjoy the feeling of moving in water.

SAFETY first! Have your chair, counter-top or wall within arms reach, or closer during exercise. You are in the right place! This is a VERY important and I’m SO glad you are deciding to work on it! Be patient and keep up the good work! Every Building Fluid Strength class works on balance & agility in a SAFE way with modifications given. I strongly recommend aquatic work for balance. The water is a safe place to get ‘wobbly’. The water is constantly moving which creates a unique balance challenge. When we can challenge balance safely, we build strong neural pathways that will be there, ready to fire when we need to react quickly. Reach out and let’s have a conversation about where to start!

This is a BIG topic and it needs proper modifications according to YOUR unique knees. Let’s talk! Water therapy may be the BEST place to address your body’s wellness goals without feeling pain in the knees. We can improve knee function in the water while giving the rest of your body a workout! Please get in touch to contact me. Every Building Fluid Strength class offers modification information on protecting your knees during land-based exercise!

You are not alone! It is SO important that you find what motions work for you, and what does not. Always be on the safe side and use caution when engaging with land-based exercise. How you take care of your back all depends on how your back behaves during and after the exercise. It depends on what you know about your back and what you’ve been told about your back. Aquatic Sessions may be something to consider. Let’s have quick conversation to figure out the best way to proceed. Check out the Modifications section for some general information.

Only work within your safe range of motion. DO NOT push past ‘bad pain’. Respect what your body is trying to tell you. It’s tricky and it involves getting cooperation from other areas in the upper body. Hands-on Soft Tissue therapy can be excellent for this especially in the shoulders. Performed in the water, soft tissue therapy is much more effective than land-based soft tissue therapy. Please get in touch to find out more about helping your shoulders. If you choose to proceed on land, please visit the Modifications Section for more info about this, and feel free to get in touch with further questions.

Both environments help with bone density. Recent research, within the last 20 years, has shown that bone density can improve in the aquatic environment. Up until recently, medical knowledge said bone density needs gravity to increase as it does in our early years as an infant transitioning to vertical, two-legged lifestyle. When fascia research came into account, another story for another time!, we saw that it wasn't necessarily gravity alone that effects bone density. In addition, it was the push and pull on bones through fascia encapsulating the muscles that actually made the bones denser. Aquatic fitness alone, especially with added resistance can help increase bone density in an already upright individual.