When we hear hydration, we think water, naturally. The word itself implies it (from the Greek for water), and we all know that water is important for the human body and all its functions. But there is a vital part running through our entire body that requires hydration, not through water alone but movement.
Our fascia. You may have heard of fascia and its importance already. Our fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fibre and muscle in place. And it relies on daily regular movement to stay healthy and flexible.
The enemy of fascia is inactivity. Prolonged periods of inactivity can cause the fascia around muscles to bind together and results in muscles no longer being able to move and glide freely. It will ultimately limit your range of motion and present as tightness or stiffness.
An extreme example of fascia binding and impacting movement is Mahant Amar Bharti Ji, a clerk in New Delhi who raised his hand in honour of Hindu deity Shiva in 1973 and has not lowered it since. It is now ‘stuck’ in that elevated position.
Amar Bharati (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
While the science of fascia is still relatively new and science is still debating and researching how to best treat affected fascia (lots of pressure, less pressure more often...), it is conclusive that the moist fascia, surrounding and hydrating all our tissues, needs circulation that can only come from movement.
So, keep moving in all different ways that you enjoy (and I do hope Pilates is one of them).
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