Tendons play an important role in our health and fitness – here’s how to keep them strong

When it comes to physical fitness, most workouts focus on building muscle strength and definition. But our muscles are not the only structures in our body that help us lift, run, and perform most of our daily tasks.

Our tendons are a crucial but overlooked part of our musculoskeletal system – they play just as important a role as muscles in our ability to move.

Tendons are made of collagen fibers that give them strength exceptional tensile strength – the amount of stress they can withstand when stretched or pulled. They are built to tolerate high levels of tension under load – working with the connecting muscles to transmit force and enable movement.

Tendons have a unique ability store and release energy – similar to a spring. While this ability is especially useful when running or jumping, our tendons also work hard during everyday activities such as walking uphill or climbing stairs. Strong tendons can too reduce the risk of falls as we get older.

But age and chronic overuse (usually seen in athletes) can increase risk of tendon rupture. Fortunately, the right type of exercise can help us build tendon strength and keep them in good condition.

Tendon health

To build strong tendons, they need to be strengthened.

This may seem contradictory because stiffness is the opposite of what we want to experience in our muscles and joints. However, in the case of tendons, it is a necessary adaptation that helps them cope with the pressure placed on them. Stiffer tendons can transfer force from muscles to bones more effectively, improving the efficiency of our movement.

It may be helpful to imagine a spring in a pogo stick. If the spring were loose, it would probably be quite difficult to spring it back. But when the spring is under tension, this will be much easier.

To build strong, stiff tendonsyou need to challenge them by using weights, for example. Research shows how big is the load for tendon adaptation is more important than the type of movement used. That’s why it’s important to challenge your tendons if you want to strengthen them.

The tendons will also take some time to adapt due to their thick, fibrous nature. While the muscles can build new fibers within a few hoursTendons regenerate slower after training and require several days to properly adapt.

To see lasting changes in your tendon health, you need to do this train them consistently for weeks and months.

It is also important to focus on building muscle strength while also trying to build tendon strength. These two elements go hand in hand – i imbalance between them may lead to tendon damage.

When muscles are significantly stronger than their tendinous counterparts, the latter can become overused. This may result in tendinopathy (e.g overuse injury characterized by pain and reduced ability to bear weight). However, when muscle weakness is a limiting factor, muscle injuries may occur. Workouts should be aimed at loading both muscles and tendons.

Train your tendons

Here are some tips to help you build tendon health:

1. Progress gradually: Gradually increase the load on your tendons so they have time to adapt to the new demands. This means constantly increasing the intensity of training. Some ways to modify your intensity include adjusting the duration of your workouts or increasing the weight you lift. Modify only one element of your workout at a time to avoid putting too much strain on your tendons.

2. Hold: Isometric training involves maintaining muscle contraction without moving. There they are many health benefits isometric training – among other things, because it effectively loads the tendons, which is crucial for their adaptation. Remember, however, that the intensity of the load is most important for tendon health – so start by assuming an isometric position (such as a wall sit or calf raise) for five to ten seconds. As you get stronger, increase the intensity by holding it longer or adding weight. Thanks to this, your tendons will be effectively loaded.

3. Vary your workouts: Variety can help promote balanced muscle and tendon development while reducing overall stress on the tendon. So instead of repeating the same workout several times in the same week, try replacing running with cycling or swimming. Or maybe focus on an upper body workout instead of another lower limb strengthening session.

4. To rest: Rest days between workouts are important not only to help the tendons adapt, but also to avoid damage caused by excessive use. Although the amount of time needed for recovery will vary from person to person, generally speaking, allowing a day or two of rest between intense activities will long road to recovery. If you don’t want to take a complete break from activity, active rest (such as a gentle walk) can also be useful because it allows your tendons to recover without straining them.

The more active you are on a daily basis, the healthier your tendons will remain. This will make your daily activities easier in the long run and reduce your risk of injury.