Neglecting to strengthen your ligaments and tendons could result in injury. The best way to avoid injury is to train your ligaments and tendons to handle stress. Exercises that target your ligaments and tendons can increase their diameter and allow them to withstand tension and tearing, according to the website Muscle and Strength.
The Basics
Both ligaments and tendons are vital for movement. Ligaments connect bones to bones across a joint, while tendons connect muscles to bones. Both ligaments and tendons are composed of the fibrous proteins collagen and elastin. Collagen gives them their strength and stiffness, while elastin allows the joint to extend. Ligaments enable movement by elongating, allowing the joint to move. Tendons enable movement by transmitting force from the muscles to the bones. Tendons store elastic energy that is important for ballistic, or high-velocity, musculoskeletal movements.
Common Injuries
Ligament and tendon injuries are common in athletes and weightlifters, and generally occur at the joints, including the wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee and ankle. A sprain is a stretching or tearing of the ligament, while a strain is a stretching or tearing of the tendon. Mild sprains and strains can usually be treated at home with rest, ice, compression and elevation, according to MayoClinic.com. However, surgical repair might be required for torn ligaments and tendons. Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon. In most cases, tendonitis can be treated with rest and medication, but if the tendon ruptures, you may need surgery. Although injury is unavoidable at times, it is important to strengthen ligaments and tendons concurrently with muscles to prevent injury. After an injury, ligaments and tendons can heal, although they most likely will not recover to their pre-injury capability, according to the Muscles and Strength website.
Benefits of Exercises
Like muscles, ligaments and tendons are trainable. According to the Muscle and Strength website, their material and structural properties can change as a result of training, increasing their thickness, strength and stiffness by up to 20 percent. Strengthening your ligaments and tendons can decrease your risk of injury, avoiding long recovery periods, the need for medication and even surgery. The stronger the tendon, the better its capacity to store elastic energy. Theoretically, strengthening your tendons has the capability of improving athletic performance. If gaining muscle mass is is your goal, strengthening your ligaments and tendons that support your muscles can help you further develop your muscles.
Types of Exercises
Before you exercise, warm up and stretch to minimize your risk of ligament and tendon injuries. The types of exercises to strengthen ligaments and tendons vary widely depending on the joint you are focusing on. Range of motion exercises and resistance training using weights can be an effective way to strengthen ligaments and tendons. Bodybuilding.com recommends executing movements slowly over a shorter range of motion to put a larger emphasis on the ligaments and tendons rather than the muscles. A qualified trainer can recommend specific exercises to target your ligaments and tendons and ensure you are using the proper technique.
Considerations
Consult your doctor or a qualified trainer before adding exercises to strengthen your ligaments and tendons to your workout regimen, especially if you have injured a ligament or tendon in the past. Weightlifters should be aware that abusing steroids results in increasing the muscle force at the expense of the ligaments and tendons. Increasing force without correspondingly strengthening ligaments and tendons can result in injury.
