Butter Melting … It’s the Sensation We Feel When Muscles Change

“What do you feel when the muscles change?”

Inquisitive clients have posed this question over recent weeks. My response?

To those of us doing Bridging®, the change feels like the muscles and movements soften and melt, similar to butter. The movement become easier for us, and for you!

Butter can have many states from hard to melted:

• frozen solid
• refrigerator hard
• room temperature softness
• a melted fluid

As your muscles begin to work together better they end up in the soft, easy to spread state. The work of each muscle becomes shared with a larger network so each individual muscle can relax, knowing it can work only when needed, and that it now has helpers.

“How does the muscle change with Bridging®?”

The next question which often follows is “Why/how does the muscle change?”

The phenomenon is rooted in the physics of electrical conductors. Here’s how it works:

• We stretch, or position two muscles (or more) to a point that the muscles are equal tension.
• This position also happens to be where nerve fibers are of a consistent conductivity meaning they are available to ‘talk’ to each other.
• We add a little wiggle (oscillation) which introduces the muscles and allows them match up so the associated nerves can ‘talk’.
• Once the muscles can ‘talk’, they are able to coordinate, kind of like magnets connecting together.

This newly established coordination allows the weaker muscle to activate, and the tighter muscle to relax. The change happens very quickly which is why we describe it as a feeling like butter melting. All of a sudden the rigidity dissolves. One research paper describing this pairing phenomenon can be read here.

Once the muscle pairing is established, it is like your cell phone joining the network. It’s going to work as long as the network supports it.

“How long does this new connection last?”

This is the next question which usually comes up. You are used to those nice sensations from massage or chiropractic dissipating in short order. Physical therapy exercises to strengthen, and stretches to loosen, help you as long as you keep doing them. Why is Bridging® different?

The key to the long-lasting nature of Bridging® changes comes from the process. We passively rebuild your larger network of movements which support the communication of the individual muscles. The basis for this is taken from the infant development progression, and is self-sustaining!

Want your muscles to be more like soft butter?

At The Bridging® Institute our clients are often surprised by how fast they improve. Uniquely, our approach goes back to early development as the secret.

Recreating early layers of muscle and joint interconnections is the roadmap for sustainably resetting your (or your child’s) body for important physical skills. Bridging® rebuilds the original developmental movement foundation; your daily activity reinforces the improvements.

Wondering if Bridging® can help?

Fill out our intake form and we’ll get back to you with insights on how Bridging® can help. Virtual or in-office sessions are two options we offer to get you back to feeling your best.