Are You Getting Enough Vitamin M?

Wait, what’s vitamin M?! It’s not magnesium… and it’s not massage. I would be remiss if I didn’t say massages as a massage therapist of course, but not everyone can afford a massage. Not everyone likes massages (I think they just haven’t gotten the right one). And others find it difficult to carve out time for a massage, but that’s the whole point of self-care. Although a daily massage would be nice, not everybody needs that everyday. What we do need everyday is movement!

Have you gotten your daily dose of Vitamin M-ovement?

Movement

I often encourage others who don’t have an exercise routine to make sure they get in some minimal movement for the day. But I also just read a quote that said:

“We stopped moving so much that a 20-minute walk is now considered exercise.”

That’s so true! Compared to our ancestors who used to be nomadic, this is a joke because they lived outdoors. We also don’t have to go that far back to compare a more active generation of tradesmen, like our grandparents. They all spent time moving physically, from work to the garden. Yes, gardening counts…

Movement can involve many things like going to the gym, running on a track, playing tennis, dancing, or swimming.

Different Levels of Movement

Here are some recommendations I can give for daily movement, broken down for the type of person and type of activities they should be doing to stay active:

Beginner or injured; 1x/day; 30min+: Mobility routine, yoga, walking, bodyweight eccentrics, light weightlifting, swimming, light cardio like cycling, elliptical, or try a fitness class.

Intermediate; 2x/day; 60min+: One medium to heavy weightlifting session, HIIT workout, jog/run/sprint. One other active rest movement, choose any from the Beginner’s list above.

Advanced; 2-3x/day; 90min+: Usually designed for athletes or competitors- train drills for your sport, plus one cardio or weightlifting session as needed, and one other active rest movement, choose any from the Beginner’s list above.

All: Stretch! Every level must stretch, release tense muscles, and make sure their joints aren’t in pain when working out. Warm-up dynamically before and hold longer static stretches after.

Ensure sustainability in your daily movements so you keep a good pace and avoid having to stop and start again due to fatigue or injury.

Movement Hydrates Fascia

Fascia loves vitamin M!

It’s funny how vitamin M is actually a term for folic acid, which is included in the B vitamin group, also good for fascia.

Folic acid is very important for the health of the nerve linings, the production of red blood cells, and energy delivery to muscles. Nerves, cells, and muscle fibers all have fascia, which is why it aids in myofascial function and recovery. 

A deficiency in folic acid or other B vitamins can result in weaker, less stable connective tissue, which creates poor posture or movements, and ultimately pain or myofascial trigger points. Less stable connective tissue means the web of fascia that holds your body is less resilient, therefore, posture can round, joints can rub, and muscles start to adopt misaligned positions. This is when pain occurs.

Luckily, we can activate the body’s core, roll back our shoulders, and get the body moving for some much-needed hydration to the tissues.

When fascia is hydrated, it is elastic, pliable, warm, and responsive. A body that can move freely is more willing to move daily because the nervous system says it is safe to do so. If there are no pain signals, inflammation, or adhesions, the nervous system gives the green light to fascia to get plenty of movement. And that’s what keeps us in a routine, regular myofascial movement and release on a cycle, which leads to a regulated nervous system.

Keep fascia well-hydrated with plenty of vitamin M, it has more benefits than you can believe!

Fascia Fitness Training

The future is fascia fitness! It’s been a long time now that when we’re encouraged to move, it’s often encouragement to go to the gym. And I do still love the gym and recommend it to anyone. However, fascia fitness is training on a whole new level with specific targets to reach. They involve new terms and aspects like:

• strengthening force transmission and absorption

• improving sensory functions

• calibrating the nervous system

• reorganizing the extra-cellular matrix

• reinforcing balance + stability

• training variability or omnidirectional angles

  
  

  

  Fascia Training in Application by Bill Parisi

These methods are body-wide rather than targeting one muscle at a time. Training fascia helps to maintain high energy because it is very engaging, but it also activates the whole web of connective tissue, and that's how our bodies function well, in unison.

Fascia training also stimulates lymphatic flow, keeping it well drained and hydrated. This leaves us feeling light and energetic in our bodies. Ultimately, maintaining this high energy is the next big thing I want to talk about because it is involved in longevity-based lifestyles!

Join me on the blog and my socials for Fascia all of February! We’ll focus on fascia all month long and you can get to know more about these fun new terms in depth. It’s fascia-nating stuff and I hope you enjoy it too.

At the end of the month there will be an announcement of the next project I’m working on as I recently completed a certification in Fascia Training in Athletic Performance with the famous fascia training coach Bill Parisi. Along with with my husband and partner, Joey, who is a Naturopath, Personal Trainer, and ISSA Board Member- together, we’re trying to build something accessible about fascia for all clients, near or far, in-person or online.

Stay tuned!