Stretching Fascia and Fascial Stretching

How does stretching fascia affect your flexibility and the way you move?

by Brad Walker | Updated July 31, 2024

For the purpose of this article, we’ll stick with deep fascia as the main focus. In short, the Deep Fascia (or muscle fascia) is defined as; the connective tissue that surrounds (or encloses) individual muscles and muscle groups.

Muscle Fascia Anatomy

While the above definition is okay as a generalization, the topic of muscle fascia is a little more complex. This section on muscle fascia anatomy offers a more detailed explanation of what muscle fascia is and where it occurs within the muscles.

An individual skeletal muscle may be made up of hundreds, or even thousands, of muscle fibers bundled together and wrapped in a connective tissue sheath called the epimysium, which gives the muscle its shape, as well as providing a surface against which the surrounding muscles can move. Fascia, connective tissue outside the epimysium, surrounds and separates the muscles.

Each compartment contains a bundle of muscle fibers; each of these bundles is called a fasciculus (Latin = small bundle of twigs) and is surrounded by a layer of connective tissue called the perimysium. Each fasciculus consists of a number of muscle cells, and within the fasciculus, each individual muscle cell is surrounded by the endomysium, a fine sheath of delicate connective tissue.

In summary: The connective tissue, or fascia, that surrounds the entire muscle group is called the epimysium; the connective tissue that surrounds the muscle fiber bundles is called the perimysium; and the connective tissue that surrounds the individual muscle fibers is called the endomysium.

What does Muscle Fascia do?

There are three main functions that the muscle fascia performs:

Stretching Fascia

As stated above; when improving flexibility is the goal, the muscles and their fascia should be the major focus of your flexibility training.

When you are inactive for long periods of time, due to inactivity or injury, the muscle fascia starts to bind together. This prevents the muscles from moving freely against each other, and leads to a stiffness or tightness that limits normal range of motion and prevents freedom of movement. Stretching fascia regularly will help to keep your muscles and their fascia in good working order, and prevent your muscles and their fascia from seizing up.

Watch the Stretching and Muscle Fascia Video

Take a look at the video below; it’s a light-hearted explanation of what occurs when the muscle fascia starts to bind together due to a lack of movement and stretching.