The Role of Rolfing As We Emerge From the Pandemic

As we reach the anniversary of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s helpful to assess where we are in our lives and where we want to go next. While the crisis is by no means over, at the one-year mark it’s fair to say we’re beginning to return to our pre-pandemic lives. The path forward is in sight, and we are beginning to emerge.

Having spent the last year in isolation, many people have turned to electronic devices such as computers, tablets, and phones to maintain contact with the world at large. We stay in touch with friends, keep up with the news, and amuse ourselves with books, games, and streaming shows. We all learned what Zooming is. Most of us have spent significantly more hours of screen time this past year than before Covid-19.

This has resulted, for many of us, in a decreased level of fitness and a general ‘slump’ in our posture. In addition, we have gotten a year older, which for many of us means we’ve become less flexible and less fluid in the way we move. If we slouch more, it’s harder to stand up straight. If we spend hours sitting, the simple act of moving from room to room becomes more difficult. In addition, many of us suffer from chronic back, muscle, or joint pain which has been exacerbated by our lack of movement during the pandemic.

As more people receive vaccines and conditions become safer, all of us, from professional athletes and dancers to seniors and professionals working from home, can benefit greatly from Rolfing.

People returning to activities after a year’s layoff need to pursue their physical fitness quest gradually. We all need to regain peak fitness in a measured and disciplined manner. It’s important not to overextend ourselves as we return to our pre-pandemic activities.

One of the best ways to assure that we make steady progress towards our goals is to utilize the benefits of Rolfing as part of our re-entry plan. Rolfing stimulates the fascia, which helps the muscles work more efficiently, shortens recovery time, and improves coordination, posture, and therefore performance. Rolfing can play a key role in averting or remediating physical setbacks when incorporated into our overall fitness program.