Born to Walk: Myofascial Efficiency and the Body in Movement

after heel strike, when the system is working to absorb the force of gravity and the ground reaction force—the viscous ground substance will stiffen the tissue and thereby allow the fascial fibers to load more, taking further advantage of the elastic recoil.

The joints—the interfaces between the bones—fold, bend, flex, rotate, or extend in predictable directions. They are therefore able to guide the forces in the body: when the quadriceps contracts, the force is transmitted via the patella to extend the knee. However, when we look at the interaction between the body and the ground, the relationship is

The use of solid elements (bone) and elastic elements (myofascia) requires the presence of a certain amount of prestress. It is the contribution of “tension” that gives the structure “integrity” (and it is the combination of these two words

The fascial tissue is transforming kinetic energy into potential energy by absorbing energy and then releasing it back into the system as kinetic energy again. It is impossible to give exact figures for the amount of stretch and recoil that is produced in each fascial tissue, because it varies widely in different parts of the body, but it can be as

Cells have their own inner supports, which allow the transfer of mechanical forces. These forces can communicate cell shape to the nucleus and thereby influence cellular expressions (Ingber

When tensions in the body are balanced, there is a sense of effortlessness; the bones are “floating in a sea of tension,” as Myers said, and any changes in that equilibrium will be easily absorbed and recoiled back with the natural resilience of the tissue

That universal connecting ingredient in our bodies is the fascial tissue, a previously under appreciated element of our makeup, yet a wondrous multifaceted material that both binds and separates organs, and stabilizes and facilitates the mobility within us.

we must be able to visualize the interactions between the forward momentum of the gait, the downward force of gravity, and the supporting ground reaction forces.

The myofascial tissues are not always consciously directed (as most anatomy books say they are) but are often reactive in behavior. For example,