Why You Feel Stress in Your Body

Stress is a pervasive part of modern life and can profoundly impact our physical and emotional well-being. If you have ever felt tight shoulders, or aches in your body, when dealing with an emotional moment you are first-hand experiencing the impact stress is having on your fascia and muscles.

What is fascia?

The fascia is a layer of connective tissue that is present throughout the body, and it offers structural support and protection to our muscles, organs, and bones. Recent studies suggest that the human body's entire fascial network has about 250 million nerve endings, making it the richest sensory tissue in the human body (Schleip, 2020). It is no surprise that you can feel stressed with such an abundance of nerve endings!

The Effects of Stress on the Fascia

Your fascia, which is as sensitive as skin, provides structure in your body and reacts to various experiences. It can tighten up due to stress, as our body releases cortisol hormones in response to stress. Although this response is helpful when escaping from danger, it can cause issues such as pain, limited mobility, and muscle problems when we experience stress frequently, which seems to be an inherent part of modern life.

How to Reduce Stress

Everyone's answer to the question of how to reduce stress will vary. However, there are proven lifestyle changes you can make:

• Get more sleep
• Exercise regularly
• Practice relaxation techniques. 
• Massage and other bodywork therapies

A Hands-on Approach to Helping your Fascia

Here at Heart + Bones, we encourage self-massage and full-body movement. With fascia-focused playlists and even a 5-day Fascia Program available in our studio, your fascia will thank you for learning how to care for it a little more.

If you have ever received a shoulder massage when feeling stressed, you have already experienced the benefits of practicing fascia self-care. Simple practices, such as moving regularly, taking breaks to massage sore areas, staying hydrated, and reducing stress, can lead to long-term benefits.

Heart + Bones offers a 7-day Free Trial to new members, including a 5-day Fascia program to help you start your fascia self-care journey.