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Reducing running injuries tackled in new book on fascia

Running efficiently, whether recreationally or professionally, and with a decreased risk of injury, requires knowledge and an understanding of how that type of movement happens. Chiropractor Dr. Wilbour Kelsick, founder of MaxFit Movement Institute based in Port Moody, B.C., has recently added to the pool of running knowledge as the author of one of the chapters in a recently published book titled, Fascia in Sport and Movement (Handspring Publishing, 2014).

March 31, 2015  By Massage Therapy Canada staff


The book, compiled by Robert Schleip, one of the foremost explorers in
the field of fascia research, is a collection of the most advanced
information about fascia and its role in improving function and
performance. It also contains a wealth of hands-on exercises with
detailed instructions.

Also called ‘Cinderella tissue,’ fascia
has a cellophane-like appearance and is found in and around muscle, bone
and all over the body’s connective tissue, tendons and ligaments. It
has both sensory and elastic properties, and is a crucial component of
the human/animal locomotion process. Fascia has the ability to store
energy and return it quickly, which is what we see in cyclic movements,
such as walking and cycling.

Training while keeping fascia in
mind, and understanding its complex function, improves performance
because it involves explosive, rhythmic-type exercise movement patterns,
similar to animals that are known as great runners, such as gazelles
and kangaroos, Kelsick explains.

Running elastically (as a result
of fascia training) uses less glucose and less muscular power, and it
helps prevent typical running injuries.

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Aside from complementing
the book’s rich details on fascia training, Kelsick’s chapter on
running presents a well-designed exercise protocol for training the
runner’s fascia, and offers advice on how to perform these specific
exercises, from pre-exercise preparation to posture and movement
technique, while also emphasizing the necessity of strength training.

Running
is a whole body activity, and fascia training is helping redefine it as
such. The newly released Fascia in Sport and Movement gives justice to a
tissue that has been forever employed by the body to perform various
physical activities but improperly acknowledged, and helps both trainers
and athletes improve performance and minimize the risk of injury.

With
its wealth of knowledge about the soft tissues and how different kinds
of activities affect the soft tissue matrix (and the types of injuries
they might cause), the book benefits sports coaches, fitness trainers,
yoga teachers, Pilates instructors, dance teachers and health
practitioners (e.g. chiropractors, physiotherapists, osteopaths, medical
doctors, massage therapist, etc.) treating sports and other
musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, and consequently, every athlete
whose activity can be improved with the right type of movement
knowledge.

Fascia in Sport and Movement is not just presenting
facts, but a detailed how-to that is intended to enhance performance
while avoiding injuries and making the whole movement process more
efficient.


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