Andrew McGonigle

You may have heard that yoga, stretching or massage can help “hydrate” or “rehydrate” our fascia, keeping it supple and preventing stiffness.

But what does the science actually tell us?

Water is an important component of fascia. It interacts with molecules such as hyaluronan, helping influence the mechanical properties of connective tissues and how neighbouring tissue layers move.

And there’s a genuine physiological basis for the idea that movement can influence fluid dynamics within tissues.

However, this doesn’t mean our fascia becomes dehydrated through everyday inactivity, or that yoga specifically restores water to tissues that have dried out.

It’s also important to distinguish between whole-body dehydration and temporary changes in fluid distribution within tissues.

And feeling stiff or restricted doesn’t necessarily tell us anything about the hydration of our fascia.

What does this mean for yoga teachers?

We have plenty of good reasons to encourage movement and stretching without claiming that we’re rehydrating fascia.

If someone feels less stiff after yoga, that improvement is meaningful, even if we can’t identify exactly which tissues or mechanisms were responsible.

References in comments below.

📖 I’ll be exploring this topic in more detail in upcoming Yoga Anatomy Insights newsletters.

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🎓 I’ll be exploring this and other common claims in Demystifying Fascia, Part 1: Separating Fact from Fiction, my live online masterclass on Thursday 12th November.

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