Why Training Fascia is Nothing Like Training Muscles
In school, we learnt the basics of how to train muscles. Muscles move in two directions, they contract and they lengthen, and they get stronger with load and repetition.
But fascia is a completely different story.
Fascia is the body’s connective tissue, a continuous web and multidimensional network that surrounds and weaves through everything - muscles, bones, organs, and nerves. While muscles work in straight lines, fascia expands, responds and transmits force in all directions. That means it can’t (and shouldn’t) be trained the same way we train our muscles.
Muscles Move. Fascia Transmits.
When you lift weights or hold a yoga pose, you’re strengthening your muscles through contraction, lengthening, or isometric holding. Fascia, on the other hand, responds to glide, load, and fluid, multidimensional motion. It needs variety to stay supple and responsive. Movements that spiral, expand, elasticise and lengthen rather than simply contract and release.
If your training or yoga practice is mostly linear (forward folds, lunges, biceps curls), your fascia can become stiff and dehydrated. Fascia training or a fascia focussed yoga method introduces multidirectional stretching and elastic rebound to keep the tissue mobile, hydrated and adaptable.
Movements That Train Fascia
Healthy fascia loves dynamic, elastic, multi-plane motion. Think of it as movement with texture — fluid, springy, three-dimensional.
1. Multi-directional movement
Fascia thrives when you move in all planes - forward and back, side to side, and through rotation. Diagonal lunges, spinal rotations, sweeping arm arcs and generous expansion through the spine and limbs all encourage adaptability and hydration. Good fascial multidimensionality leads to better movement diversity and agility.
2. Elasticity
Fascia has the remarkable ability to store and release energy, like an elastic band or a spring. Gentle, rhythmic movements that lengthen and then recoil the fascia like bouncing, hopping or swinging build this natural elastic recoil. This is what gives us that buoyant, youthful quality of movement and improves efficiency by letting you reuse stored energy instead of generating new energy for every action.
3. Dynamic stretching
Instead of holding a static stretch, move slowly in and out of the position. This gradual loading trains elasticity and improves dynamic flexibility. Reaching one arm overhead and bending to the side, sinking into a swaying squat, or circling the arms are simple, effective examples.
Self-Massage and Rehydration
This is the part of fascia work most people recognise — the trusty old foam roller! But do you know why foam rolling or massage balls make a difference in your fascia? It’s not the rolling that is important, it's in the sustained pressure. Tools like rollers or fascia balls compress the tissues, helping “squeeze out” older fluid and draw in fresh hydration, much like wringing a sponge.
You can target tight areas or add gentle shearing motions (a small slide under pressure) to break down deeper adhesions. This keeps tissue pliable, hydrated and ready to move.
But I need to bust a myth here - harder is not better when it comes to self massage. A rigid roller or ball often makes the muscles contract and the fascia brace. For genuine change, the tissue needs to soften around the stimulus. In our fascia yoga classes, we use soft, air-filled balls with blunt sensory nubs. They stimulate the fascia without forcing the body into defensive tension.
What Happens When You Stretch Fascia
When fascia is moved and stretched, several things happen beneath the surface:
Improved blood flow as more oxygen and nutrients reach the tissue
Better flexibility as collagen and elastin fibres reorganise
Tension release as adhesions soften
Better postural alignment through balanced fascial tension
Improved fluid exchange in the gel-like matrix
Nervous system regulation through sensory receptor stimulation
Collagen remodelling with consistent, long-term practice
Pain and Fascia
It’s not always easy to distinguish muscle pain from fascial pain. But a simple guide is that muscle and joint pain usually worsens with movement while fascial discomfort often improves once you begin moving, especially with warmth or gentle motion.
Fascia needs to stay pliable and hydrated. When stress, strain or trauma accumulates, fascia hardens, restricting movement and blocking nutrient flow. Because we can’t isolate fascia, we support it indirectly through movement, pressure, elasticity, and hydration.
Why Fascia Yoga Works
Fascia yoga targets whole myofascial lines — long, interconnected chains that spiral through the body — rather than isolated muscles. Movements are fluid, multidirectional and rhythmic, creating space for the layers of fascia to slide and glide freely.
The goal isn’t more flexibility. Excessive flexibility (like in hypermobility) can actually increase injury risk. What we’re aiming for is healthy glide — fascia that can adapt, recoil, and respond to the demands of daily movement.
Building a Balanced Practice
Fascia-focused training complements both strength and cardio. With just one or two fascia training or fascia yoga sessions each week, you stimulate new collagen growth and keep your connective tissue supple and strong.
A well-rounded fascia practice includes:
Elastic, bouncy movements for recoil
Slow, dynamic stretching for fluidity
Self-massage for rehydration
Spiralling, multi-directional flows for adaptability and strength
Healthy fascia means efficient movement, fewer injuries, and a body that feels responsive rather than brittle.
Fascia remodelling takes time — it changes more slowly than muscles or neural pathways. Expect months rather than weeks. Short, consistent sessions work far better than long, infrequent ones.
If you’d like to incorporate fascia training into your routine, you can join us for group classes in fascia yoga or FAMO Fascia Movement at our Sydney studio.
And if you’re elsewhere in the world, we can work together online with one-on-one sessions