Training your tendons
Here are a few tips to help you build tendon health:
Progress gradually: Increase the amount of stress placed on the tendons gradually so they have time to adapt to these new demands. This means steadily increasing the intensity of your workouts. Some ways of modifying intensity include adjusting the duration of your workouts or increasing the amount of weight you lift. Only modify one component of your workout at a time to avoid placing your tendons under too much stress.
Hold it: Isometric training is where you hold a muscle contraction without moving. There are many health benefits of isometric training – not least because it effectively loads tendons, which is crucial for their adaptation. But remember the intensity of the load matters most for tendon health – so start by holding an isometric pose (such as a wall sit or calf raise) for five to ten seconds. As you get stronger, increase the intensity by holding it for longer or adding a weight. This will ensure your tendons are being challenged effectively.
Vary your workouts: Variety can help to promote a balanced development of muscles and tendons while simultaneously reducing the overall strain on the tendon. So instead of doing the same workout multiple times in the same week, try swapping a run for a bike ride or swim. Or perhaps focus on an upper body workout instead of another lower limb strength session.
Take a rest: Taking rest days between workouts is important not only for helping your tendons to adapt, but for avoiding an injury from overuse. While the amount of recovery time you’ll need will vary from person to person, as a general rule leaving a rest day or two between high-impact activities will go a long way towards helping you recover. If you aren’t keen on taking a day off from activity entirely, active rest (such as a gentle walk) can also be useful as this still allows your tendons to heal without straining them.
