Regular physical activity helps increase bone density, builds lean muscle, burns excess body fat, and promotes good cardiovascular health. Not only is exercise beneficial for your heart, it also boosts the immune system and enhances quality of life. Yet, over time, what you have incorporated into your life for physical enrichment can begin to wear on your joints and connective tissue. Without proper precautions, limited range of motion and painfully restrictive mobility are immediate.
Overtraining
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary describes the human tendon as a tough cord or band of dense white fibrous connective tissue that unites skeletal muscle to bone. This connective tissue, although naturally very resilient, is highly susceptible to injury when under excessive tension and or friction. Long-term high impact exercise, such as distance running, jumping rope, or plyometrics, without incorporating a weekly day or two of rest can lead to chronic tightening of the muscles. In as little as a few months, if left in a state of perpetual tension, microtears develop and your tendons grow weaker and more frail.
Muscle Imbalance
When muscle imbalance occurs due to excessive training of a single muscle group, insufficient rest between workouts, or poor form, tendon irritation and strain manifests. Although tendons possess the ability to endure tremendous stress, they lack to fortitude to do so for extended periods of time. Functional inequality between themselves and the muscles they support. If strain and imbalance go unattended, the tendon's effectiveness is diminished so much that the integrity of the muscle it supports becomes weakened as well.
Restore Symmetry
Knees, hips, elbows, shoulders, and ankles house the tendons imminently affected by overuse injuries. Fortifying joints through strength training can prevent tendons from snapping and requiring surgical repair. When engaging in weight-bearing exercise, take care to evenly work the opposing muscles groups as not to inadvertently promote muscle imbalance. Well-proportioned muscles that are similar in size and strength surrounding a given joint are less prone to injury, thus preserving the integrity of vital connective tissue. Additionally, studies have shown that proper stretching after physical exertion, helps to elevate excessive tightness, lengthen the muscle, and enhances tendon resilience. This decreases the stress placed on the tendon while at rest and allows healing to take place.
References
- EinSpine.com: Tendonitis
- Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science: Effect of habitual exercise on the structural and mechanical properties of human tendon, in vivo, in men and women
- The Journal Of Physiology: Effect of strength training on human patella tendon mechanical properties of older individuals
