Block Therapy for Athletes: Flexibility

Think of strings all laid out next to each other, then imagine they are braided and twisted tightly. You will notice that the strings are not only thicker and chaotic in appearance, but also that the whole bunch is shorter.

When the fascia binds our legs and arms in a twisted state, we lose range of motion because the muscles are twisted around themselves and locked. They are actually overstretched, and have no more room to move. The locking into place happens because of the powerful force of the fascia. Stretching can make the muscles more elastic to a point, but it can only go so far if the strings remain tangled up, and it cannot release the fascia as deep as is needed.

Gym goers and athletes often have the issue of maintaining flexibility while they build strength. Gymnasts have to spend hours stretching simply to counter their intense workouts. What if we could get faster and better results with less time committed?

Blocking can reach deeper and open up the body in ways that stretching cannot. Melting the adhesions that the fascia forms allows the cells to migrate back to their proper place. We can also melt scar tissue in tight, overworked muscles, resetting them for the next workout so that they do not continue to bulk up and block range of motion.