by Jo Ann Graser

​In early August I attended a five-day dissection workshop called “Fascial Anatomy Summer School” that provided a deep dive into the inner workings of the human body. The lab-based workshop consisted of an intimate exploration of fascia and its relationship to other structures in the body.

The course was held at the Institute for Anatomical Research in Colorado Springs and was led by Dr. Carla Stecco, an Orthopedic Surgeon from Padova, Italy. Dr. Stecco is an expert and innovator in fascial research and has taught all over the world. She is slated to be a keynote speaker at the Fascial Congress in Montreal this Fall.

Each workshop day began with a lecture on a specific topic and then we would head to the lab for hands on exploration. The amount of material we covered in five days was quite overwhelming and it’s still taking me time to process everything I learned. I want to give you all some snippets of information that I found interesting and relevant to the work we do together in the studio (and hope you do to). I realize the bulleted items below represent a huge information dump. Take your time to digest it and please reach out to me with any questions or comments. 

The points below are some key take-aways from the course, if you aren't into all of the details, just check out the bolded text:

• Fascia is connective tissue that surrounds every part of our body. It supports and connects muscles, tendons, ligaments, tissues, organs, nerves, joints, and bones. When fascia is healthy it is flexible and moves with you. When it is tight, it restricts movement and can cause pain and mobility issues.
• Our superficial fascial layer, which resides just below our skin, is a network of soft tissue that transmits input from our external world into our bodies. It functions as a sensory organ, responding to the gentlest stimuli and instructing our deeper structures on how to respond.
• Superficial fascia is responsible for exteroception (sensory inputs that relate to the world outside the body).
• Deep fascia is responsible for interoception (sensory inputs that relate to the world inside the body).
• Superficial fascia reacts differently depending on the necessary function of the body at a particular location (example: the fascia on the back of your hand glides, but the fascia on the palm of your hand doesn’t).
• Superficial fascia has the most sensory fibers, making it an autonomic sensory organ (autonomic sensory system acts mostly unconsciously and regulates bodily functions and is the primary mechanism in the fight-or-flight response).
• At the midline of the body, both front and back, the superficial and deep fascia join. They are not separated by fat or organ tissue.
• Myofascial expansion occurs where anatomical continuity is important to function. Fascia can expand into our muscle tissue in addition to surrounding the muscle. Fascia also expands into our bones as periosteum (vascular connective
• tissue).
• Joint stability relies on good fascial connections.
• High repetitions of movement can lead to breakdown of fascial tissue resilience, leading to instability in the muscles, bones and joints. Stability is important for better movement outcomes.
• The process of our various tissues developing rigidity starts early in our development (rigidity is defined as the point at which the tissue cannot be stretched further). Children and adolescents who overtrain risk a lower threshold of rigidity and consequently joint dysfunction.
• Things that improve fascial movement: heat (hot shower), movement and hydration.
• Visceral fascia (fascia surrounding our organs) is largely autonomic. The only organ that attaches to our locomotor system are the lungs. The lungs have the voluntary function of communication.
• Our intercostal muscles (the muscles between the ribs) are directly connected to the visceral fascia of the heart and lungs.
• There is no sensation in deep visceral fascia. Pain is felt as sensations move toward the surface structures of the body.
• As nerves migrate through the body, there are many possibilities for points of compression.
• Nerves cross the deep fascia as they travel toward the skin.
• The openings in the deep fascia where the nerve passes have very specific spatial organization so the nerve doesn’t get compressed every time the fascia is stretched.
• Nerves are fully embedded in adipose (fat) tissue to protect them from compression.
• Certain areas of the body have more protection for the nerves. The sciatic nerve (extends from the lower end of the spinal cord down the back of the thigh and divides above the knee joint) has more adipose tissue protecting it than the ulnar nerve (transmits signals to the forearm and hand).
• The Thoracolumbar Fascia (TLF) is a transitional area between the lower and upper extremity where force transfer occurs.
• TLF connects joint systems in the hips, pelvis, lumbar and thoracic spine.
• Even the arm and neck fascia “connect” to the TLF via the glenohumeral (where the head of the humerus inserts in the scapula).
• This web of fascial connections extends into the cervical and even the skull.
• The gluteus maximus (large muscle in the buttocks) has a lot of fasciae and its function is huge and wide-ranging.
• Pelvic floor pain can be a result of fascial immobility in the gluteus maximus.
• Tight fascia in the feet and ankles can add to pelvic floor pain.
• It is important to treat the body in a global way to treat pain and dysfunction.

The exploration I was gifted through this workshop was life-changing and incredibly moving. Our bodies are such marvels of design and function, and it was an honor to be allowed such access and opportunity for learning.

by Jessica Schmidley

January is the time when everyone starts thinking about resolutions. I consider resolutions to be just another type of goal, just like I would set for myself throughout the year. All too often we see clients give up on goals before the end of January. This year, let's commit to changing that by making better goals to begin with.

The key to achieving any goal, is how you create it.

We talk casually about goals all the time...I want to lose 5 pounds...I want to go on a vacation...I want to get a new job. However, wanting doesn’t get the job done. Action does.

If I want to lose 5 pounds, but I never make any changes in my lifestyle that will support that goal, it won’t happen. If I want a new job, but I never update my resume, talk to a recruiter or start applying for positions...It’s not likely that will happen either. 

I talk with people all the time who set goals, but give themselves unrealistic timelines to complete them. Look at what you want to accomplish and set a reasonable timeline in order to follow through on that task.

Goal Setting:
Step One: Time Period
Identify a goal and decide how long the process of achieving that goal will reasonably take (not necessarily how quickly you want to get it done):

• 1 week
• 1 month
• 1 year

These do not have to be health or fitness related. They can be literally anything that you want to get accomplished. Go one week without dessert. Finish a project. Save up a certain amount of money to take that big vacation. These can be related goals or individual goals.

Choose your words:
Consider the words that you use while goal setting. Instead of saying “I want to…” or “Try to…” use the words “I will…”. 

Step Two: Actions
List 1 to 3 actions that you will do to accomplish these tasks in this period of time. The larger the goal, the longer the period of time, and generally you will need more actionable tasks to complete that goal. 

Step Three: Skills
Part of accomplishing a goal may involve learning new skills. If you want to cook more of your own meals, you may want to attend cooking classes or learn knife skills to help during that process. There are so many good online classes now to learn basically any skill you could imagine, check out sites like Masterclass.

Examples:
1 Week Goal:

• Eat vegetables at dinner every day.

Actions: 

• Research recipes for vegetable side dishes for dinner.
• Purchase vegetables at the grocery store.
• Prep or cook vegetables ahead of time to make mealtime easier.

1 Month Goal:

• Get 8 hours of sleep at night

Actions: 

• Be in bed by 9pm.
• Start getting ready for bed no later than 830pm.
• Cutoff caffeine consumption by 2pm.

1 Year Goal:

• Go on a vacation to Mexico in 2023

Actions:

• Save $2400 for vacation costs (for example)
• Save $200 each month toward vacation fund
• Make coffee at home 4 days per week instead of stopping at Starbucks.
• Take on extra hours at work to increase earnings.
• Contact a travel agent to plan the trip.
• Work with a financial planner.

Step Four: Identify Your Sacrifices
“The real challenge is not determining if you want the result, but if you are willing to accept the sacrifices required to achieve your goal. Do you want the lifestyle that comes with your quest? Do you want the boring and ugly process that comes before the exciting and glamorous outcome?”
-James Clear

This article really spoke to me, and I’m already a big fan of James Clear’s work. The want is not enough, identifying what needs to be done and if you are willing to do the work to accomplish the goal is a very important part of the process. Click the link above for the full article if you want to go a little deeper into goals.

Goals can be very powerful. Be strategic, be realistic and identify a few things that you want to check off your list this week, month or year!

by Jo Ann Graser
​
Are you aware that your nail tech and hair stylist must be licensed, but licensing requirements don’t apply to your Pilates/Personal Trainer/Group Exercise or Yoga instructor? Seems crazy, right? I think so and many in our profession have been working hard to remedy the situation.

The fitness industry is unregulated, which means there are no universal standards for instructor training. The bottom line is that anyone can market themselves as a fitness professional regardless of their level of training. For the purposes of this blog, I will be discussing the steps the Pilates industry has taken to up-level the profession.

Learning movement science, anatomy and program design is a lengthy and nuanced process and cannot be tackled in a weekend. A Pilates teacher needs to attend classroom lectures and workshops, engage in self practice and student teach for many hours to adequately learn to lead safe and effective sessions. This endeavor can take up to 2 years and 500+ hours to complete.
​
The not-for-profit professional association dedicated to the Pilates field is the PMA (Pilates Method
Alliance). In 2005, to fill the void in credentialing for Pilates teachers, the PMA created and launched the first and only legitimate credential exam which when passed conferred the title of “PMA-CPT” or Certified Pilates Teacher. Fast forward to today, and the Certification program has become autonomous and rebranded as the National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP). The following is taken from their website:
​
“The purpose of the NPCP is to establish, maintain and promote professional standards, and to award the title of Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) to the comprehensively educated Pilates teacher who has provided evidence that they meet these established professional standards.

For the public, employers, government agencies, and other professionals in allied fields, the NCPT
credential provides assurance that the Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher is competent in the provision of services.”

An instructor must complete a 450-hour comprehensive program of study in Pilates in order to sit for the exam. Once they have passed, they earn the designation of Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher or NCPT. This is the only objective way to ensure that your instructor has the adequate knowledge and experience to lead safe and effective sessions.