Fascia training has taken the ever-evolving world of fitness and sports by storm in recent years. Once an overlooked aspect of anatomy, the fascia — a web of connective tissue holding muscles, bones, and organs together — is now being recognized for its crucial role in body mechanics and athletic performance.
"Historically, when we look at human autonomy and biomechanics, we've ignored fascia altogether," explains Chong Xie, an expert in the field and the creator of the renowned New York-based Hyperarch Fascia Training program. "Far from being just a structural support, this network impacts our strength and flexibility, and it facilitates effortless movement, which it's why it's essential to work on strengthening it."
Xie believes that fascia training is the key to unlocking people’s athletic potential. Based on the principle that the body is interconnected rather than a collection of separate parts, it often focuses on exercises that engage the body as a whole rather than isolating individual muscles.
“Fascia training is a big umbrella, just like muscle training,” Xie explains. “What we do is unique because we have identified that elite athletes do not use their feet the same way regular folks do. We lean on fascia principles to train the mechanoreceptors of our feet and hands to achieve world-class results. Our bespoke program is aimed at enhancing performance, undoing years of damage, and accelerating recovery.”
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The significance of fascia training cannot be overstated since muscle injuries represent a great part of all traumas in sports medicine, with an incidence from 10% to 55% of all sustained injuries. With high-impact sports players at the highest risk of getting hurt, Xie believes the training needs to be given more emphasis and researched more as it could be the key to minimizing sports-related health risks.
Some key elements of the training are releasing fascia adhesions and restrictions, hydration and elasticity, and improving body awareness (otherwise known as proprioceptive refinement).
“We keep weekly metrics on the level of body response to stimuli, healthy fascia is like a tent that has structure and organization, chronic painful condition is like a tent that is collapsed, whatever contained within it also suffers,” Xie states.
Fascial release is likely one of the best-known forms of this type of workout. It involves slow and steady pressure that decreases muscle tone, relieving stiffness, and it can be done with special equipment such as foam rollers or even with tennis or rubber balls. However, as Xie warns, “It’s especially important for the massage to be slow. Some people make the mistake of rolling too fast, which invigorates the fascia and actually increases tensions.”
A crucial objective of the training is improving muscle elasticity which can be facilitated through movement, stretching, and ensuring proper hydration in the body. “Springy movements, like butt kickers, skipping, and high knees are great ways to achieve this,” Xie reveals. “And for runners, I’d say elastic hops are a great choice, but mental focus is key.”
Enhancing body awareness or proprioception is one of the greatest advantages of fascia training since it allows people to move smoothly and evenly and, in the best case, helps them avoid injuries. “This includes kinesthetic exercises designed to make you more conscious of your movements, thus improving coordination,” Xie explains.
Xie hopes that fascia training will not be a passing trend. As a creator of an advanced fascia workout program, he intends to continue raising awareness about this type of training and hopes that more and more people, professional athletes and ordinary individuals alike, are going to give it a chance.
“It’s perfect for anyone looking to make fundamental changes to their wellness and attain a higher level of physical fitness and health.”
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Photography by: Courtesy of Chong Xie
