What do you hate most about spending hours at a desk all day? If you’re anything like me, it’s just how tight everything feels when you get up. Feet hit floor and it’s all creaks and groans from there on out. It’s as if all your muscles have been hanging out enjoying their me-time and now they are instantly in fight mode: Hey! WTF?
Unfortunately, letting your muscles lay low is no good for anyone.
Now that I went and broke my leg and I’m finally back on my feet, I have no choice but to get moving. I have to force myself to break from work and do simple exercises, just like my physiotherapist ordered. I even have to move my muscles while sitting. Getting into stretch mode is actually a welcome change. Even before my injury, I’d find that my sedentary lifestyle was taking a toll on my fitness level. My brain may have been active (thanks, coffee!) but the rest of me was suffering in silence.
Do you feel me here? Do you find that you lose flexibility by the minute—just by sitting at your desk? Do you have a recurring injury you just can’t seem to shake?
Well, guess what I learned from the personal trainer I found through my free app called LEAGUE? There was a reason it was so tough to get my musc
les moving the way they should, and it wasn’t all due to my injury. It turns out my fascia needed stretching. Sounds pretty sexy, huh? It is. Oh yes, the whole process of getting your fascia stretched, is quite the experience—and it’s one you’re going to want to try. Soon.
In case you’ve never heard of it, fascia is a network of connective tissue that surrounds your muscles, bones and joints, kind of like a net. This stuff is basically the biological fabric that holds you together. So when your fascia constricts, it can do all kinds of damage. For instance, it can cause aching muscles, tendonitis, decreased blood flow, headaches, lower energy levels and increased scar tissue formation.
The good news is you can do something about it—something very fun. You can go for a fascial stretch session with a professional, like I did.
In a nutshell, Fascial Stretch Therapy is a unique, complete and complementary system of table-based assisted stretching, focusing on the fascia and joint capsule as the key elements in achieving optimal flexibility, strength, performance and pain relief. And here’s all you really need to know: You do pretty much none of the work, and you reap all the benefits. 
Practically, here’s how it works. You lie on a bed while the big guy with the muscles tells you what to do. First off, he teaches you relax your limbs, as if they’re asleep. If he’s not holding up your leg or arm, it should just drop. Yes, that’s hard for control freaks to do, but if the therapist is good, he’ll guide you through it, step by step.
It’s a trust thing. You literally need to surrender to his expertise.
He lifts each limb and stretches it as far is it will go in each direction—while you lie there, letting him push your flexibility, slowly but surely. In all kinds of positions. You just close your eyes and breathe when he tells you to and push against his weight when he tells you to, and pretty soon, you feel like somewhat of a human pretzel, being gently stretched into shape. For an hour. Afterward, you get up and feel more limber than ever. And there are other benefits, too. Fascial Stretch Therapy sessions, besides being uber-relaxing, can achieve the following:
- improved posture
- reduced risk of injuries
- increased strength
- decreased muscle soreness
- improved athletic performance
Sounds like fun, right? It is, and you’ll feel better than ever when you leave. Especially if you get a Fascial Stretch Therapist who also just happens to be a fireman. It was a good morning.
Interested in trying Fascial Stretch Therapy? Work with Daniel Kocmiel, who you can find on the LEAGUE app, to maximize functional movement and achieve your personal wellness goals. Take control! LEAGUE is a dedicated platform that puts members at the centre of their health and wellness journey. Sign up and you’ll get instant access to top preventative health professionals in your neighbourhood. League makes wellness easy with the convenience of mobile scheduling, payments and invoicing—all in one place.
Web: visit JoinLEAGUE.com Mobile: App Store and Google Play
