How Skin Rolling Can Improve Breathing and Mobility

Have you done your ribcage angle check and perhaps found that you had a narrow position with that ribcage angle or maybe kind of an off-kilter one? (Read blog and watch video to check rib cage angle HERE) Maybe you notice one side seems to be kind of gripping more while one side is a little more flared. One thing we can do to help with that is to do some kind of that myofascial release, which is essentially kind of that skin and tissue that is sitting on top of those muscles that oftentimes is really what's creating a lot of that tightness.

If you're somebody who has had a c-section doing this on that scar and breaking up the scar tissue is going to be really important. There are a number of ways that we can go about it. You can do just basic skin rolling by just using your fingers. A good place to start is by just taking some skin in your hands and see how easily it pulls away from the muscle. You may notice areas that are more difficult to pull those are the areas that probably need a little extra help in that release. The key with skin rolling is to work all different directions. Up/down, side to side, and at an angle. Think of it as your body, the more ways we move it the more mobile it becomes!

I use the analogy that tight fascia is like wearing a really tight button-up shirt. You’re not able to move because it's restricting you so we want to loosen that up. You want to do that with the front of the body (ribs) but it's great to do that in the back. If you find you're somebody that really struggles to get those deep inhales with that breath into the back and side of the ribs you might need some of that fascial release.

Foam rolling these areas is another great way to release fascia. Start with a softer foam roller and work your way up to a harder one. It takes time to build up a tolerance.

Another great option for fascia release is cupping. You can buy these cups for $10 on Amazon. They come in different sizes for different areas of the body. I find that cupping in the shower is best. You just need to make sure you have lathered area with soap so the cup moves across the body easily. You don’t want broken blood vessels! You can also control how intense the cupping is by squeezing more or less. You can also cup outside the shower if you apply lotion or oil to area. It’s the same idea as skin rolling- do all the directions!

So give one of these many fascia release options a try and let me know which ones you prefer in the comments! Notice if it helps you take those deep 360 breaths!