Tendons and Ligaments are Underappreciated and Overlooked Parts of the Body
But research shows that strengthening them can lead to better mobility and function
Hiya!
In my youth, I discovered that my tendons and ligaments are loose, which makes my joints more flexible or hypermobile than most. However, this also makes me prone to dislocation, as my flexible attachments make it easier for my bones to slip from their joints. As a result, I’ve always paid close attention to my joint health, formed regular exercise habits, and experimented with ways to keep them as stable as possible.
My bodily knowledge expanded thanks to my enduring curiosity and the almost decade I spent studying it as a licensed massage therapist. Yet, as my knowledge grew, I’ve observed countless people who seemed unaware of proper body mechanics and the importance of connective tissues to our physical well-being.
So, I’ve decided to write about it because the world is scary, our lives are busy, and we should do everything we can to feel as good as possible.
What Are Connective Tissues?
Muscles tend to receive all the attention and glory in a conversation about strength. But as with so many other things that hog the limelight, muscles would be nothing without their support system working in the shadows.
Our connective tissues, including ligaments, tendons, and cartilage, make our movements actionable and help keep our bodies stable. Simply put, our muscles are useless without them. Kai-Yu Ho, an associate professor of integrated health sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, explained to Hannah Singleton of National Geographic:
“Ligaments and tendons are types of connective tissue that play essential roles in supporting, anchoring, and connecting various structures in the body,” […] “and help prevent excessive movement of the joint.”
The human body has hundreds of joints, places where two or more bones fit together, and they come in many shapes, sizes, and types. Meanwhile, connective tissues are the metaphorical tape connecting our bones and muscles together.
Ligaments are fibrous bands that attach bone to bone with limited blood flow, while tendons are more rope-like in appearance and contain some blood vessels, nerves, and a lot of collagen that connect your muscles to bone and act as shock absorbers for your muscles by dispursing some of the force to your bones.
For instance, you’re likely familiar with the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which links the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone) along the outer knee, as athletes commonly tear it. Similarly familiar is the Achilles tendon, which connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest of our tendons.
Instability or weakness in connective tissues increases a person’s chances of developing painful conditions like tendonitis or other joint issues, making them more prone to injuries like tears. Such injuries can be career-ending for athletes, but athletes aren’t the only ones at risk.
Everyone with a body is susceptible to spraining, tearing, or straining their ligaments and tendons. And considering our bodies slowly deteriorate as we age — we become weaker and more at risk of injuries and chronic conditions — knowing how to care for your often ignored connective tissues is good information to have.
How Connective Tissue Differs from Muscle
A significant difference between our connective tissues and muscles is how they respond to and recover from stress. Ho explained to Singleton that,
“In general, connective tissues don’t strengthen in the same way muscles do, but they can adapt to stress by becoming denser and more resilient over time.”
However, it takes longer to strengthen connective tissue than muscles because muscles have a rich blood supply, providing nutrients that help them recover after use. Tendons and ligaments, meanwhile, are less vascular, so they receive less blood and, therefore, are slower to recover.
John Hinson, an orthopedic surgeon at Palm Beach Orthopaedic Institute, Florida, cautioned Singleton that,
“It's important to slowly build your way into workout programs. You will see people get into a new activity and they get really enthusiastic and they'll jump right into a routine.”
However, pushing too hard too quickly — like jumping into a new activity, abruptly changing your training load or routine, or engaging in repetitive movements like running — can overstress connective tissues and lead to injuries with a high re-injury risk.
How to Strengthen Tendons and Ligaments
Seeing as tendons connect muscle to bone, it makes sense that they’re also easier to strengthen compared to ligaments. However, just because tendons are part of our muscles doesn’t mean they’re strengthened using the same techniques.
Still, two exercise approaches, eccentric and isometric, have been shown to strengthen connective tissue, especially tendons.