One size SMALLER

NEWS: Sneaky tissue blockages make It nearly impossible for women over 50 to lose weight. To the rescue: Simple moves and delicious foods that restore health to power off pounds—fast!

- LISA MAXBAUER

For years, if we wanted to drop a couple pant sizes, we might look for answers on the worldwide web. But cutting-edge science now points to another web—inside our body—that holds keys to easily tame bloat and trim inches. Huh? We’re talking about fascia, the web of connective tissue that runs under the skin and plays a vital role in everything from pain management to weight loss. It’s even been compared to “inner Spanx” for its ability to change our body shape.

You may have heard of how damaged fascia can affect the body in conditions like plantar fasciitis or frozen shoulder. “Doctors call it ’50s Shoulder’ because it is so common in women going through menopause,” says Antonio Stecco, M.D., Ph.D., a leading expert in fascia biomechanics and rehabilitation medicine. He explains, “Research tells you that 87% of people will have myofascial pain at least once in their life, but I think it is much more!”

Historically, fascia wasn’t on most traditional doctors’ radar. Then around 2007, this tissue started getting attention. That’s when Italian research proved fascia is filled with nerves—250 million nerve endings. Dr. Stecco says, “That’s way more than in tendons or ligaments.” Suddenly, doctors started calling fascia “the Wi-Fi of the body” for its unrivaled ability to communicate with all other body systems. It’s also known as our “sixth sense.” And Harvard University even launched a conference on fascia medicine.