Tendons are bands of dense tissue that connect muscle to bone. Because of their toughness and relatively small size, tendons make the perfect anchoring tissue. Despite the fact tendons are exceptionally strong, injuries can occur. Because tendons receive little blood flow, once they are injured, recovery can take a very long time. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can strengthen your tendons and prevent injury.
Strength Training
The American College of Sports Medicine reports strength training can improve the strength of your tendons and ligaments. Just as the force exerted by the weights stresses the fibers of your muscles, it also stresses your tendons. This stress forces your muscles and tendons to reinforce themselves, resulting in increased strength. For the best results, use challenging weights and move your joints through the greatest range of motion possible. Strength train two to three days a week, taking 24 hours between workouts to give your muscles and tendons a chance to rest and rebuild.
Plyometrics Training
Plyometric training is based on the principle of using the elastic properties of the muscle and connective tissue and is used to increase power and explosiveness in athletes. Plyometric exercises consist of an eccentric contraction -- stretching of the muscle -- followed by a concentric contraction, or a shortening. This series of contractions yields an increased power output. Plyometric training will not only improve muscle and tendon strength but will also improve flexibility. If overdone or done incorrectly, plyometrics can lead to injury, so it is important to begin a program slowly, progressively increasing the intensity.
Flexibility Training
Flexibility is crucial for injury prevention. Tight muscles and tendons are much more prone to injury than are flexible tissues. Strength training, aerobic training and the strain of daily living can lead to tension, making it extremely important to include flexibility training in your routine. Dynamic stretching is a form of flexibility training that incorporates movement along with muscle tension development. Dynamic stretching may be more useful than static stretching for strengthening your tendons and improving flexibility. Flexibility training should be done a minimum of two to three days per week.
Considerations
When embarking on a tendon-strengthening program, keep an open mind. While strength training will indeed help strengthen your tendons, you also need to include a flexibility program to ensure you keep the working tissues resilient and injury-free. Peak Performance warns that tendons adapt slowly, so it is critical to progress your training program gradually. Using really heavy weights can cause your muscles to become stronger than your tendons, which can lead to a ruptured tendon and extensive rehabilitation.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer", Second Edition; Nicki Anderson, et al.; 2007
- Peak Performance: Strength Training for Tendons
- ShapeFit: Plyometric Aerobics Training -- Benefits
