LYT

Tag: movement

  • Pain in the Knees

    Pain in the Knees

    It’s that time of year where we may find ourselves kneeling down more than usual…wrapping gifts, playing on the ground with children or grandchildren, and picking up after the aforementioned children or grandchildren! Over time, many people find weight-bearing through the knees to become less and less comfortable and it’s usually due to degenerative changes in the knees. This can include arthritis of where the femur articulates with the tibia or patella.

     

    The term “arthritis” refers to inflammation (-itis) of a joint (arthr-). Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the knees. It is a degenerative, wear-and-tear type of arthritis that occurs most often in people ages 50 and older. There is a gradual wearing away of the protective covering of the bones of the knee, which results in a decrease in the joint space. As the cartilage wears away, it becomes frayed and rough. Over time, this can result in bone rubbing on bone and the development of painful bone spurs. The knee may become stiff and swollen, which may be worse in the morning or after prolonged sitting. Loose fragments of cartilage can interfere with knee range of motion and cause locking or a grinding noise called crepitus. But all of this usually doesn’t occur until the later stages of OA, so a lot can be done to manage symptoms and halt the progression of this degenerative diagnosis.

          

    With any type of wear-and-tear issue, the most important thing to evaluate is the body in motion. In the simplest of terms, humans are just very advanced machines. In the same way that your tires will wear unevenly if you don’t rotate them, your body will wear down if you don’t give it regular tune-ups and move in multiple planes of motion! So typically if someone has developed OA in the knees, it’s traditionally due to both poor body mechanics and overuse of some sort. It is important to note that the knees are pretty simple joints in that all they really want to do is bend and straighten. If that’s all we ask them to do and if the weight is evenly distributed, they tend to stay pretty healthy. It’s when medial, lateral and twisting moments occur at the joint that we see injury. It’s with overuse that we see wear-and-tear. But the fact of the matter is that we need weight-bearing exercise to maintain the health of our articular cartilage. Studies have shown that 10% of sedentary people have knee OA as compared to only 3% of recreational runners. In elite/professional runners, the percentage increases to 13% due to the overuse. 

     

    By improving the way in which we move, we decrease the wear and tear through our joints. Keeping the kneecaps tracking over the feet, sitting back into the hips with heels-down squatting to keep the knees behind the toes, and maintaining strength in the core and hips all help minimize the amount of weight through the articular cartilage of the knees. Maintaining full joint range of motion allows weight to be transferred across a larger surface area and minimizes the amount of force through in any area in particular. Add exercise in additional planes of motion, such as LYT Yoga®, which increases strength of the hips and core, increases muscle and joint flexibility, and focuses on proper joint mechanics, and I’d argue your chances diminish even further. But sometimes no matter what we do, we are unable to bear weight through the knees due to pain. This doesn’t need to affect your yoga practice! I’ve created a 4-class beginner series on LYT Daily called “No Weight Thru the Knees”, so you can stay on your mat or help encourage someone you know to get LYT with you, knee pain and all! Click the link below to our YouTube channel for a short video on ways to modify your practice without bearing weight through the knees, so you can keep moving all season long! Until then, I’ll see you on the mat!

     

     

     

    Xoxo,

    Kristin

  • The Physiology of Stress

    The Physiology of Stress

    While it may be the “most wonderful time of the year”, it can also be quite stressful. So many studies are emerging revolving around the negative impact of stress on the body in so many ways. What happens in the body when we are stressed? What is the physiology of stress?

     

    Any physical or psychological stress can disrupt the equilibrium of our body’s systems and result in a stress response, which manifests either in our body or in our behavior. This stress response is moderated between the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, in order to prepare the body to handle the challenges presented by the stressor. But if the stressor is intense (or just perceived as being so), repetitive, or prolonged, the stress response becomes maladaptive and harmful.

     

    Stress generally affects all systems of the body, including the cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory, gastrointestinal, nervous, muscular, and reproductive systems. With regards to the cardiovascular system, acute stressors, such as awaiting test results or slamming on the brakes to avoid an accident, cause an increase in heart rate, stronger heart muscle contractions, dilation of the heart, blood pressure elevation, and redirection of blood to larger muscles. This is also known as the “fight or flight” response. The endocrine system increases its production of stress hormones – epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine, and cortisol – which act as messengers for these effects and provide the energy required to deal with the challenge. Once the acute episode passes, the body returns to its normal state. Acute stress manifests in the respiratory system as shortness of breath and rapid breathing due to the constriction of the airway between the nose and lungs. It has been shown to trigger asthma attacks and bring on panic attacks as well. The gastrointestinal system has hundreds of millions of neurons which are in constant communication with the brain, explaining that feeling of “butterflies” in the stomach. It can affect how quickly food moves through the bowels, digestion, and what nutrients the intestines absorb. Stress can also make the intestinal barrier weaker, causing changes in the gut bacteria, which can then impact the ability to think and affect emotions. With regards to the nervous system, stress will activate the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn activates the adrenal glands to produce more stress hormones. Stress affects the musculoskeletal system by tensing up the muscles to guard against pain and injury. Finally, in the reproductive system, acute stress can cause impotence and adversely affect menstruation cycles.

     

    As the duration of stress lengthens, it becomes chronic. Stress responses go through three different stages in this progression:

    • Recovery Phase – following the acute phase, the body begins to repair itself by lowering cortisol levels and normalizing the physiologic responses but remains on high alert. 

     

    • Resistance Stage – if the stressors persist, the body will adapt by continuing to secrete stress hormones, which keeps the body’s physical response to stress elevated – symptoms include poor concentration, irritability, and frustration.

     

    • Exhaustion Stage – the body’s immune system begins to weaken as a result of the suppressive effects of stress hormones, causing symptoms of burnout, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and reduced stress tolerance.

     

    Chronic stress manifests in all of the systems of the body as well. It can increase the risk for hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke. It results in a long-term drain on the body due to the continuous activation of the nervous system and has been linked to the development of chronic fatigue, metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity, depression, and immune disorders. Chronic stress can affect testosterone production resulting in a decreased sex drive and can negatively affect a woman’s ability to conceive and her postpartum adjustment. Finally, it causes the body to be in a relatively constant state of guardedness, which may trigger other musculoskeletal reactions in the body. For example, low back and upper extremity pain have both been linked to stress, especially job-related. Both tension headaches and migraines are associated with chronic muscle tension in the shoulders, neck, and head. Muscle tension and eventual muscle atrophy all promote chronic, stress-related musculoskeletal conditions. 

     

    So what can we do about it? Exercise and mindfulness have been shown to be effective remedies for stress, both acute and chronic. So head on over to LYT Daily for hundreds of on-demand classes or to the LYT Studio for LIVE Zoom classes with feedback from our fabulous LYT instructors. See you on the mat!

     

    Xoxo,

    Kristin

  • Sequencing Tips & Tricks for LYT Teachers

    Sequencing Tips & Tricks for LYT Teachers

    Hi all! I’m Teagan.

     

    As a longtime yoga teacher, but newer LYT yoga teacher (I was in the 1st cohort of the online 200-hour program which graduated in April 2020 & completed the 300-hour in September 2021 – LYT Level 2 certified, woot!), and a recent addition to the LYT Prime platform, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the ways I put together my sequences for classes each week. Each class is different, and everyone has strategies that work for them, but I hope that by sharing my current process, you’ll get something useful out of it. 

     

    And I should say, first and foremost, if you haven’t taken Kristin William’s sequencing labs, then you need to get on that ASAP!

     

    You can join me weekly on LYT Prime for LIVE Zoom classes every Thursday 8-9AM ET!

    Teagan LYT Prime image

     

    1. Find Your Theme

     

    My classes almost always start with an idea/theme/body part, etc. – some concept that is going to be the throughline. Here are some of the ways that themes come to me:

     

    • it may come to me during a class I’m taking
      • might be a cue that sticks with me – either from the teacher or something I come up with myself in my own body/mind
      • might be something about their theme that I want to chew on and put my own spin on, something that feels meaningful to me 
      • might be some shapes or transitions that are in the class that I want to dissect and play around with more and in different ways
    • because of an injury or pain I’m experiencing OR a part of my body that feels like it needs attention
      • I ask myself ‘what can I do to try to help myself with this on my mat?’ 
      • I know that what helps me can often be a way to help others
    • from what I’m seeing working with my clients/students 
      • issues they’re having in their bodies 
      • concepts I think they need more clarification/work on as I watch them practice/move
    • from something I’ve read or seen
    • a body part or action in the body I want to know more about and am willing to do some research on OR one I want to educate others more on
      • I think choosing a body part or action is a great way to embody your knowledge and help others to really understand it too
    • of course, there are all the holidays, seasons, chakras, states of matter, etc. to pull from

     

    I keep a running list of ideas on my phone that is ever-expanding. Whenever I think of one, I just add it to the list. That way I’m never short on inspiration when I need to pull together a class. And I try to pick a theme that I’m really excited about to teach on a given week so that I’m showing up with as much enthusiasm as possible when I’m teaching. 

     

    1. Start Making a List of Poses/Ideas

     

    The next thing I do is open up a Google doc and start listing off poses or movements that are in line with the theme. I think back on and also sometimes go back and look at previous classes that have relevant examples of whatever I’m looking to theme my class around. One of the wonderful things about LYT Daily, LYT Prime, and all the LYT trainings is that we have such an expansive library of resources to draw from. The more you practice LYT, the more the concepts, movements, and ideas become embedded into your body and mind, so start there, with what is already inside.

     

    1. Refer to Other Resources for Inspiration

     

    Depending on the theme/idea I will also often go to Instagram and look at relevant hashtags or YouTube and seek out videos, usually from physical therapists, addressing whatever topic. These are great resources that have really helped spark my creativity in the past. I always try any ideas I get from these places out on my body first to make sure they make sense to me and convey what I’m trying to get across. 

     

    1. Get On Your Mat

     

    Once I have some ideas to work from, the next thing to do is to get on my mat. It’s true, I can design a class sitting on my bed (where I usually do work from at home), but it tends to be much more predictable, rote, and boring (in my personal opinion)*. When I get on my mat and start playing around with movement, the class often almost seems to write itself. And I get excited about what I’m putting together. This part somehow amazes me a lot of the time. Even though I’ve been planning yoga classes for over 15 years, the magic of the sequencing coming together still feels special. I love it. 

     

    * Although I have also considered designing a class called “The Obvious Class” and making the poses and transitions between poses as obvious as possible. I think that would be fun too!

     

    1. Refinement

     

    Ideally, I have a day or two to let the class sit before I come back to it. That way I have a little more time to process the movements and have some space away from it so that I can come back with fresher eyes and make some refinements. These days I often end up with a few too many ideas and need to do some culling or trimming to fit it into the allotted time frame. 

     

    I do also design classes where I simply get on my mat and figure it out from there; no specific idea or theme per se, but just allowing my body to speak to me and move me around my mat as it needs. As yogis/human beings, we want to be able to access the wants, needs, desires of our minds, bodies, and spirits. So being able to tack between these different layers of ourselves and listen to them is an important aspect of feeling well-balanced and fulfilled.

     

    I hope, for those of you who are teachers, these thoughts/explanations might add something to your sequencing process. I’d love to hear about your strategies too. Feel free to reach out on Instagram @yogawithteagan.

     

    And I hope to see you in class soon.

     

    xo,

    Teagan

     

    Teagan Schweitzer, Ph.D., E-RYT 500

    yogawithteagan.com

  • The Almighty ACL

    The Almighty ACL

    With ski season just around the corner, it’s time to talk about the almighty ACL. I used to love to ski with abandon until I became a physical therapist and then skiing was never the same again! ACL sprains are common knee injuries and skiers are one of the most at-risk athletes. Others include soccer, basketball, and football players. That being said, I can no longer go downhill skiing without an arguably irrational fear of tearing or spraining my ACL. Sigh. 

     

    The ACL, which stands for anterior cruciate ligament, is one of two cruciate ligaments that aid in stabilizing the knee joint. The ACL and PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) form an “X” or cross within the knee. The ACL comes from the posteromedial of the medial aspect of the lateral femoral condyle and inserts on the anteromedial tibia, blending with the medial meniscus. As it passes from the femur to the tibia, it spirals outward (laterally) on itself. 

    anatomy-of-the-knee

     

    The primary function of the ACL is to restrain the tibia (shin bone) from moving forward on the femur (thigh bone). It also restrains rotation and medial/lateral (varus or valgus) displacement of the tibia when the knee is straight. Finally, the mechanoreceptors present in all ligaments provide crucial proprioceptive information to the brain as to where the knee is in space at any given time.

     

    Roughly 70% of all ACL injuries are caused simply by doing the wrong movement. Furthermore, approximately 75% of all ACL ruptures are sustained with minimal or no contact. A common mechanism of injury involves a cut-and-plant movement, especially if there is rapid deceleration involved, which is why skiers are at-risk for injury. When turning, if there is a sudden change in direction of the knee but the foot stays firmly planted in the ski which is still pointing downhill, you’re replicating the cut-and-plant movement and can tear the ACL. Other mechanisms of injury include rapid stopping, landing awkwardly, pivoting, twisting, and direct blows to the leg.

     

    Studies have shown that females are at increased risk of ACL injury and have a 2.4-9.7 times higher incidence rate as compared to males. Some studies suggest that females have weaker hamstrings, so they mostly utilize the quadriceps while decelerating. This places increased stress on the ACL, as the quads are less effective at preventing forward movement of the tibia as compared to the hamstrings. A second factor that may increase the risk in females is a wider pelvis requiring the femur to have a greater angle towards the knee. One study using video analysis demonstrated that female athletes are more likely to bring the knees in when changing directions suddenly (creating a valgus stress), which increases the strain on the ACL. Finally, hormonal variations may increase the laxity of ligaments overall in females.

     

    When someone sustains an ACL tear, there may be an audible pop and the knee will often give out underneath them, which is often followed by an immediate onset of pain and significant swelling. Range of motion may be restricted, especially full extension. There may be widespread mild tenderness to touch as well. If not repaired, episodes of giving way are common, especially with pivoting and twisting motions. People are able to function without an ACL, but this often leads to an earlier onset of arthritic changes to the joint due to the decreased stability and increased wear and tear. 

     

    They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, which has never been more true than with the ACL. An ideal ACL prevention program will incorporate plyometrics, neuromuscular training, muscle strengthening, and education on body mechanics and landing technique. Plyometrics should include high intensity agility drills that develop footwork and power, including cutting, jumping, and lateral movements. The athlete should be taught to begin and end movements with proper positioning involving hips and knees being sufficiently flexed, jumping and landing with knees over the foot avoiding a valgus stress, and landing softly. Strength training should be focused on the hamstrings and glutes. Any asymmetry in strength and movement patterns should also be addressed. Hmmm…does any of this sound familiar?? LYT Yoga® fits the bill and is the perfect preseason prevention training! However, if you find yourself struggling from an ACL sprain, click the link below to our YouTube channel for some simple exercises to help rehabilitate your knee following an injury. Until then, I’ll see you on the mat!

     

     

    Xoxo,

    Kristin

  • Warming Up to the Cold

    Warming Up to the Cold

    It’s getting to be that time of year where everyone is looking to get warm as the temperatures drop. Ever since moving to the tundra of Wisconsin and dealing with the winds of the lake effect, my attention to staying warm despite the cold has become hyper-focused! As the temperature outside decreases, body heat is lost more quickly and it becomes more of a challenge to maintain a normal body temperature. Luckily we have some good defensive mechanisms in place to help us stay warm when baby, it’s cold outside!

     

    The first line of defense occurs right when we encounter colder temperatures and our body automatically redistributes blood to the torso in order to keep the vital organs warm and in working order. The blood vessels of the skin constrict minimizing the amount of blood sent to this area, which is the closest to the cold. This helps to insulate the body by keeping the heat from escaping and shunts the warm blood to the core. Another strategy the body uses to warm up is shivering. You know when your teeth begin to chatter and your body starts to shake uncontrollably? It’s all for a good reason. These rapid and rhythmic muscle contractions create heat in order to keep the body warm. The body may also recruit more muscles to shiver as the temperature drops, so it can actually become quite intense and even uncomfortable. This is an effort by the body to increase body temperature by breaking down nutrients and maintaining the feeling of warmth. In fact, shivering can increase heat production close to five times the resting metabolic rate! 

     

    So why is it that some people get cold more easily than others? Body type can explain some of the varying reactions. Taller people tend to get cold faster because a larger surface area means more heat loss. In addition, fat’s reputation as an insulating material is well deserved, so thinner people also tend to get cold quicker. It’s like a double whammy for those who are both tall and thin! For staying warm during the winter, subcutaneous fat that is layered under the skin is what keeps the heat in, not the visceral fat that collects in the abdomen. This is why inuit and other polar/cold climate peoples have evolved to be relatively short and stout. 

     

    So what’s a great way to warm up to the cold? Simply being physically active is a great way to generate heat. During exercise, heat is created as your muscles use and create energy. Typically, a muscle stores a small amount of energy within, and once this has been used, it must create additional energy to continue working. In fact, when you exercise, 80% of the total energy is converted to heat while only 20% is used for muscle contraction. Exercise is not a total gain though, because once you experience an increase in body temperature, your body will start sweating in an effort to cool down. In cold temperatures, this can become problematic as the evaporation of sweat can lead to greater rates of heat loss. This is why proper clothing that allows for wicking of moisture away from the skin while also insulating the body to keep warm is imperative for outdoor cold weather exercise.

     

    Therefore, now that the temperatures are starting to fall, we have even more reason to get on our mats and keep moving! Wear some layers that you can shed as your body temperature rises and let LYT Yoga® loosen up whatever Old Man Winter has tightened! On that note, I’ll see you on the mat!

     

    Xoxo,

    Kristin

  • Carpal Tunnel

    Carpal Tunnel

    With more people working from home and online than ever, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an uptick in the number of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) cases worldwide. CTS is the compression of the median nerve as it passes through a fibrous tunnel at the wrist into the hand, resulting in pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness along the distribution of that nerve. It is the most common nerve entrapment syndrome, accounting for 90% of all entrapment neuropathies. Given that it is made worse by prolonged extension of the wrist, one can understand why activities such as using a mouse and typing would aggravate symptoms of CTS.

     

    Developing CTS is often multifactorial, involving occupational, social, and environmental risk factors. The most common risk factors include genetic predisposition, history of repetitive wrist movements, obesity, autoimmune disorders, and pregnancy. CTS is 10 times more common in females than males and usually occurs between the ages of 40-60 years. It is most often caused by a combination of compression and traction at the wrist. With compression, there is a cycle of increased pressure > obstruction of blood flow > increased swelling > compromise to the microcirculation of the median nerve > compromise of nerve function > lesions in the nerve itself > inflammation of the surrounding connective tissues and tendons passing through the tunnel > further compression of the nerve. Repetitive traction and wrist motion can only exacerbate symptoms, further injuring the nerve.

     

    Sensory nerve fibers are often affected before motor fibers, resulting in early symptoms of pain, numbness, and tingling. These symptoms will present along the distribution of the median nerve, which includes the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger (closest to the thumb). Pain can also radiate up into the arm. As the disease progresses, motor nerve fibers are affected, causing hand weakness, decreased fine motor skills, and atrophy of the muscles of the thumb. Autonomic nerve fibers can also be affected, causing temperature changes in the hand. 

     

    In the early stages, symptoms are most often present at night when lying down and decrease during the day. Symptoms at this stage can often be relieved by shaking the wrist and hand. As the nerve entrapment progresses, symptoms will also be present during the day, especially with repetitive wrist and hand activities. In more advanced cases, the symptoms can be constant. As CTS is progressive, permanent median nerve damage can result. However, almost 90% of mild to moderate cases respond to conservative management.

     

    Three simple tests to check for CTS include:

    1. Carpal Compression Test – most reliable – done by applying firm pressure directly over the carpal tunnel for 30 seconds. The test is positive if pain, numbness, tingling, or other symptoms are reproduced.
    2. Phalen Test – aka “Reverse Prayer” – Fully flex the wrists, placing the backs of the hands together for one minute. A positive test is when the symptoms are reproduced.
    3. Reverse Phalen Test – aka “Prayer Test” – Fully extend the wrists, placing the palms of the hands together for one minute. A positive test is when the symptoms are reproduced.

     

    As I stated above, conservative treatment of CTS is highly successful in a lot of cases. Initially, just modifying movements or positions that provoke the symptoms is key to breaking the compression cycle. Increasing aerobic activity, mobilizing the upper thoracic spine, stretching tight muscles of the cervical spine and thoracic outlet, strengthening the shoulder girdle, and gliding the median nerve can also help decrease aggravating factors of CTS. I’ve created a short video that can be found on our LYT Yoga® YouTube channel with simple exercises you can do to help relieve the symptoms of CTS, so check out the link below! Until then, I’ll see you on the mat!

     

     

     

    Xoxo,

    Kristin

  • Posture Matters

    Posture Matters

    There are a lot of healthcare professionals on social media discussing whether or not posture really matters. It’s kind of the hot button topic in the physical therapy and pain science world. These days, it’s en vogue and edgy to say that posture doesn’t matter. I’ve been in this business long enough now to watch fads come and go. I love to listen to both sides of every story and to be honest, most of the time the underlying message on each side is essentially the same. People are just too busy spewing out extreme messages to get more likes on their Instagram page rather than really listening to what others have to say. Since this is my platform to educate people about the body as best I know how, I want to tell our readers why I think posture matters…but it may not be in the way you’d expect.

     

    When most people think of good posture, they think head up, shoulders back, don’t slouch, and suck in your stomach, perhaps like an Army PFC lined up for uniform inspection. Is that what we want? Is that how we should present at all times in order to avoid back or neck pain? No. But does that mean it doesn’t matter? Does that mean slouching with a forward head and neck, zero tension in the core, and a tilted pelvis is ok? Again, no. Posture matters in the sense that being aware of where your body is in space at all times matters. There is little to no solid evidence that having bad posture causes pain. In fact, there is a lot of evidence to the contrary…that poor posture does not cause pain. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t contribute or play a role. One study looked at thousands of people who experienced an episode of low back pain and found that being distracted while doing a specific task makes people 25x more likely to experience acute low back pain. It also found that being in an awkward posture also increased the likelihood, just not as much. The combination of the two, an awkward posture and being distracted, was the key. 

     

    There is also evidence that posture affects emotions. After all, you rarely see a superhero portrayed in a rounded, traditionally poor position of posture. People in positions of power often adopt a similar position for that same reason. Power begets power. A depressed posture has been shown to cause depression. Depressed people who adopt happy postures have been shown to feel better. There is also evidence that emotions affect pain sensitivity. Anxiety increases perceived pain responses. So it stands to reason that posture, emotions, and pain are related in some fashion and clearly influence one another. 

     

    It’s better to think of posture and movement patterns in terms of what puts the most amount of postural stress on the body. Younger people with more adaptable soft tissues and mobile joints may be able to maintain an awkward or poor posture for longer periods of time than an older person with less adaptable tissues because the postural stress on the body is less overall. Duration of stress matters as well. Bending over to examine something under your sink for five minutes is much less likely to cause injury as opposed to doing that for many hours a day as a plumber, for example. The duration of the stress is longer, but the posture is the same. Many postural stresses can be avoided…if you notice it’s a stressor…which unfortunately, many people don’t.

     

    The best posture is a dynamic one. We weren’t created to be sedentary. Our bodies are meant to move in a variety of positions and to do so frequently. A sedentary lifestyle contributes significantly to the degeneration of postural reflexes, as discovered by NASA while studying the physiological effects of inactivity. We have the best length-tension relationship in our muscles in neutral, so it’s a great place to start. Once you’re able to identify neutral, your brain and your body become more aware of when you stray and it’s easier to respond as appropriate, for the position you find yourself in. You don’t and shouldn’t maintain erect Triple S posture throughout every movement. Find freedom and variety in your movements, with the ability to decrease the postural stress as needed for your body at that specific time. It’s a learning process that takes time and practice. And it matters. 

     

    Check out the link below to our Posture Series on LYT Daily. It’s also available for purchase if you aren’t a subscriber. In this series, Lara and I educate you, your brain, and your body on all things posture and movement, to decrease those postural stressors in your life! Until then, I’ll see you on the mat!

     

    https://lytyoga.uscreen.io/programs/collection-9eqop9lxcpu

     

    Xoxo,

    Kristin

  • Collagen

    Collagen

    I never used to think much about collagen until I got into my 40’s. Now I can’t help but hear about it almost every day in ads for skin and joint health. So what’s the big deal that makes collagen such a hot topic in healthcare and beauty? In LYT Yoga®, we’re constantly talking about “soft tissues” and “connective tissues”. Similar to the framework of a house, connective tissue provides structure, support, and protection throughout the body. Connective tissue is comprised of ground substance, fibers, and cells. The ground substance and fibers make up something called the extracellular matrix, which is the structural support of connective tissue. The three types of fibers include elastin, reticulin, and of course, collagen.

     

    Collagen fibers are large and strong, providing high tensile strength to the extracellular matrix and can be found in both dense and loose connective tissue. There are actually 28 different types of collagen in the body, with four being the most common:

    • Type I – makes up over 90% of the collagen in the human body – found in all connective tissue, but most notably scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, bone, skin, eyes and teeth. It’s both flexible and strong, providing resistance to tension, force, and stretch.
    • Type II – found in the cartilage of joints and intervertebral discs, providing resistance to pressure.
    • Type III – often found in organs such as skin and blood vessels, providing a flexible meshwork for cells – it’s also abundant during the early stages of wound healing.
    • Type IV – an essential component to the membranes of the kidneys, inner ear, and lens of the eye, providing support and sites of attachment.

     

    As we age, the production of collagen begins to slow, which causes the cell structures to weaken. Skin becomes thinner, drier, and less elastic, causing wrinkles to form and skin to sag. Womp womp. Bones become weaker and more fragile. Ligaments lose their elasticity. Joints become stiffer as the cartilage wears down. Finally, muscle function decreases. Woof.

     

    But don’t lose hope! Exercise has been shown to prevent cartilage degeneration in the body and help keep the skin healthy and vibrant. Researchers have shown that during exercise, the compression of the joint cartilage (made up of collagen) stimulates the tissue cells to block the action of inflammatory molecules associated with conditions like arthritis. There is certainly a threshold of doing enough, but not too much however. Exercise also increases blood flow, which helps to nourish skin cells. In addition to providing oxygen, blood carries away waste products, including free radicals, from cells. So you can think of it as helping to flush the system.

     

    So the next time you hop on your mat and your favorite LYT Yoga instructor is challenging you to work a little harder or sweat a little more, think of the good you’re doing for your connective tissues and collagen! 🙂 If you want more information on healthy skin care, check out our LYT Yoga Blog by Jana Broeckx, European LYT Yoga teacher and entrepreneur! See the link below! You know we’re always pulling for you! Until then, I’ll see you on the mat! 

     

    Jana’s skincare story

     

     

    Xoxo,

    Kristin