News

Release Muscle Tension with Myofascial Stretching

Rachel Larson · August 3, 2023 ·

Myofascial stretching helps release tension in the body which in turn helps reduce pain and helps you move better. In this article you’ll learn about: 1) What fascia is and why it is important, 2) What can happen when it gets too tight in certain areas, 3) How fascial stretches differ from standard stretches. 4) How myo stretches help release constricted areas.

What is fascia and why is it important?

You can think of fascia as a webbing and support structure for every part of your body and cells including muscles, joints, bones and nerves. It provides shape and structure to the body – it literally holds us together!

Fascia is a key element of every kind of physical training we do:

• Strength training

• Agility and speed work

• Flexibility

• Coordination

• Recovery

It surrounds and penetrates all of the structures of the body to:

• Create structure

• Transfer force

• Allow fluidity between structures

But what happens when fascia gets too tight or unhealthy?

Fascia can get constricted, shortened or tight due to injury, trauma, inflammation or chronically poor posture. These constricted areas can put extra tension on muscles, nerves,bones and joints – altering function and movement. This often leads to pain, movement limitations, and malalignment of joints and imbalances in muscles.

How are myofascial stretches different from standard stretches?

Myofascial stretches are three dimensional. The body is positioned using all three planes of motion (sagittal, transverse, frontal planes).
Myofascial stretches require strength. Every stretch has a muscle contraction component. For example, if we are trying to stretch out hamstrings, we contract the quadriceps.
These stretches require concentration. These are active stretches that require thought and focus. You can think of them as a form of mediation!
Finally, true myofascial stretches are held 90-120 seconds. Much longer than your typical 20-30 second hold.

How we incorporate stretching into Flostate classes:

We have myo stretches included into the Yoga Restore Flo, Foam Roll and Lengthen, and Intensive Stretching classes. The stretches are woven into class and blended with more traditional yoga poses and stretches, creating a unique blend of movements designed to improve your range of motion, decrease aches and pains and leave you feeling more physically ready for anything. Try out one of our Flostate yoga restore classes and feel the difference!

Contact Rachel at Flostate to learn more about how you can increase your joint health, improve your mobility, strength, balance and reduce pain at info@theflostate.com.

Want to reach your goals? Do these 5 things

Alice Halvorson · August 3, 2023 ·

Tis the season for goal setting, resolutions, and embarking on new ventures. Most of us have that nagging feeling that we want to make changes and start fresh. This can happen at any point for any reason, but the drive is especially strong right now as we usher in a new year. We always have good intentions, but many times we miss the mark with our plan (wait, I need a plan?!) and ultimately fail to reach whatever we set out to achieve. How can we do better? What do we need to change to reach the goals we set and get the results we seek?

Here are 5 things you should be doing to reach your goals:

Number 1: Make your Goals “Smart Goals”

You’ve probably heard this one already, but it bears repeating. Your goals should be S.M.A.R.T. That stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound. Why?

Specific goals help bring focus to what you want. You can’t do everything; narrow it down.

Measurable goals are anchored in metrics that you can measure and therefore track. How will you know how far you’ve come if you don’t have a way to measure it?

Achievable goals are things that you know you can realistically accomplish. So probably not losing 20lbs in one month or climbing Mt. Everest…forget the extreme, get real instead.

Relevant goals are those that make sense in your life. Why is this goal important to you? This may be one of the most important aspects of your goal and goal setting in general – THE WHY. It has to mean something to you, or when the going gets tough, you’ll jump ship.

Time Bound goals have a deadline attached to them. You need this time frame so you can create your plan. It also gives you a sense of urgency that motivates you to act.

Number 2: Defining Your “WHY”

Get crystal clear on why you want to do this. Why change at all? Why THIS goal? Make it for you, not for anyone else. Why will this goal improve your life, health or situation? Why is it important? Visualize how you will feel once you achieve this goal. Is it striking a nerve or not? Go deeper and keep asking “why” until you can articulate why this goal is important to pursue.

Number 3: Learn from Past Experiences / Failures

Most likely you’ve tried to make changes before, or even tried to achieve this same goal in the past. Reflect on that. What worked? What didn’t? What were your “hiccups”? Where did you get stuck? When did it get hard and why? This reflection could give you some important information on what strategies to use this time around.

Number 4: Secure a Source of Accountability

Tell someone about your goal, and better yet, someone with whom you value their opinion (related article). And get specific. Talking about the plan you will do specifically (versus the end goal) is even more beneficial in terms of holding you accountable. There is a part of you that won’t want to let the person you tell down or risk their disappointment if you fail. Use this to your advantage! And along with that, get yourself an “Accountability Partner”. Maybe this is a coach, friend, trainer, colleague – someone that you trust and “gets it”…someone that will support you through the journey, but will also get real with you and coax you back on track when things get challenging. Speaking of challenges…

Number 5: Expect Challenges

If nothing changes, nothing changes. Reaching a new goal will require a shift in you and it will require WORK from you. This is uncomfortable. I believe this is one area where people tend to have a blind spot. We want to skirt through on motivation alone, thinking it should be relatively easy because we just want to succeed so bad. However, there will be times that you want to quit and following your plan will be hard. What’s your plan when it gets tough?

When that happens, you know what? Come back to this article. Come back to your “Why”. Analyze it all again. Call your accountability partner. Follow your plan. Keep on going. You’ll shatter your goals and learn a ton in the process!

Which foam roller is right for me?

Rachel Larson · August 3, 2023 ·

When it comes to foam rollers, there are lots of choices to pick from. When choosing you must consider size, diameter, length, density, color and brand. In this article we break these options down to help you to select the best foam roller for you.

What size foam roller is best?

Online you will find dozens of foam roller shapes and sizes. The most common and “original” size is the 9” diameter and 36” length. This allows you to lay length-wise on the foam roller for some unique core strengthening and posture enhancing movements. Anything shorter will not work. We recommend this 9”/36” foam roller as our top pick for Flostate classes.

How firm should my foam roller be?

Not all rollers are the same density or firmness. To the body, this means that some foam rollers will feel very hard and others softer.

Softer rollers:
Softer foam rollers are much more comfortable to use and allow a person to relax more while using it. This is because myofascial release of hardened or “locked” tissues can cause some discomfort. A softer foam roller will not press as deeply into the muscle/tissues and will be a more gentle solution. It can prepare tissues for a firmer foam roller as your body starts to unwind.

Firmer rollers:
Firmer rollers will help you “get right to it”. You may be more uncomfortable at first using a firm roller versus a softer option, but you will eventually adjust. The trick is to use the foam roller on a frequent basis- weekly for example. Your body will begin to unwind, and as it does, the pressure will become more comfortable. This is a sign that your fascia is responding and “unlocking” or improving.

Which foam roller is right for me?

Here’s one way to decide. Do you prefer a deep tissue massage? Or would you rather have a gentle soft to medium pressure massage?

If you you are a soft to medium massage pressure person, we recommend the pink OPTP foam roller.

If you are the deep tissue massage sort of person, we recommend the black Power Systems foam roller.

Still not sure? You could try them both?

6 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism Today

Rachel Larson · May 30, 2023 ·

Have you ever thought, “If only I had a faster metabolism?” You are not alone! One out of every three Americans struggles to maintain a healthy weight. One weight maintenance strategy is to use up more energy each day or increase our metabolism. By using more baseline calories each day, those few extra calories that slip through are less likely to be stored as fat. Interested? Read on.

What is Metabolism?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, metabolism is defined as “the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.” When most of us think of metabolism we think, “how many calories do I use in a day and how much can I eat without gaining weight!” One thing to keep in mind is 60-75% of our needed calories each day are just to keep us alive. The remainder are activity, exercise and thermogenic effects of food. We could unpack all sorts of things about the mechanics of metabolism, but we will cut to the chase today and tell you what you can do to speed it up!

What can I do to burn more calories?

Get stronger

Increase lean mass by 2-4% pounds of muscle and boost your RMR (resting metabolic rate) by 7-8%.

Eat foods that require more energy to consume

Pick fruits and vegetables that take more time and effort to eat. Add in protein as it requires more energy to digest and break down.

Don’t starve yourself

Dramatic reductions in calories and crash diets slows metabolism by over 22%. Don’t do it! Odds are you will gain back everything you “lost” and more.

Control your appetite but respect your hunger!

Be aware that hunger and appetite are different and that appetite is linked with stress.
Hunger is when our bodies need food on a cellular and metabolic level. Don’t ignore hunger! Eat when your body needs nourishment.
Appetite is getting a second slice of pie on Thanksgiving after 3 plates of food. Or when we keep eating after a stressful day. Be aware of the difference.

Sleep more than 6 hours per night

Lack of sleep is linked with cravings for more energy-dense and unhealthy foods.
Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

Control stress

Stress increases cortisol, which drives us to choose unhealthy foods and can sabotage our good intentions.

The Power of Strength Training for Women

Alice Halvorson · May 17, 2023 ·

What if I told you that there is indeed a “fountain of youth”? It’s no joke. And it is more simple and less expensive than you are imagining. It’s called strength training and here is why it’s important for everyone, particularly women.

Strength Training Helps Preserve Muscle Mass

Muscle mass decreases approximately 3–5% per decade after the age of 30 and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60. This leads to a loss of strength, which increases vulnerability to injury due to bone density changes and stability issues. When we lose muscle it is also accompanied by a progressive increase in fat mass. Essentially we change our body composition, which isn’t desirable! The look most people women desire is a body that has more muscle mass on it…not less. Strength training helps stimulate muscle fibers and signals our brain to hold on to that muscle tissue. By the way – lifting weights does not make you “manly” or “bulky”. It makes you strong, toned and resilient.

Strength Training Strengthens Bones and Helps Prevent Osteoporosis

An estimated eight million women and two million men in the United States have osteoporosis. Of the several exercise training programs, resistance training is known to be highly beneficial for the preservation of bone and muscle mass.

Activities that put stress on bones can nudge bone-forming cells into action. That stress comes from the physical tugging and pushing on bone that occur during strength training (as well as weight-bearing aerobic exercises like walking or running). Strong bones are essential to prevent injuries.

Strength Training Improves Mood

We all know that exercise has mood-boosting capabilities. And it’s not just the classic “runner’s high”. Results from a 2018 study showed that resistance exercise “significantly reduced depressive symptoms” among research participants. One notable finding was that participants showed an improvement in their mood regardless of whether they grew physically stronger from the exercises. That’s pretty powerful!

Strength Training Improves Posture and Balance

No one wants to see their posture reduced – or the dreaded hunchback as they age. Resistance training improves posture by strengthening the muscles of your upper back, shoulders, hips and core, helping bring these muscle groups back into balance and our joints into proper alignment. Lifting weights also helps improve our balance by strengthening the muscles around our joints.

Strength Training Improves Confidence!

Resistance training builds confidence. There is such power and satisfaction that comes from working hard in the gym. And, as simple as it sounds, some of that stems from literally lifting heavy things. Knowing you can do it, you are capable and you are strong.

References