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Your bones, muscles, and joints are held together by bands of fibrous tissue known as ligaments and tendons. While ligaments and tendons are made of similar substances and are vital for proper body mechanics, their functions are very different.
Ligaments are criss-crossed bands that attach bone to bone and stabilize your joints. The bands of ligaments are rough and closely intertwined, and they don’t have much give, just enough to let the joints move as needed.
Tendons, on the other hand, are located at the end of each muscle, connecting that muscle to the nearby bone. These connective tissues are much more elastic and absorb a lot of impact from muscle movement to protect your bones.
Although these tissues are tough, they’re still prone to injury. Ligament and tendon injuries, such as ACL tears or tendonitis, can often be serious and take a lot of time to heal.
So, our team, led by Don Enty, MD, at Genesis Pain and Regenerative Medicine in Colleyville, Texas, wants to offer some practical ways to strengthen ligaments and tendons and protect your body from injury.
Never skip your warmup
Exercise is a great way to stay healthy and in shape. But no matter what exercise routine you choose, you must warm up first. Stretches and warmup routines ensure that your ligaments and tendons are loose and proper blood flow has started. Both of these factors increase your flexibility and lower your chance of injury.
Before every workout, do some light stretching and warm up your ligaments and tendons with light walking.
Vary your workout choices
An easy way to overwork your tendons and ligaments is to do the same workout over and over. Instead, find a variety of exercises you like to do, such as aerobics, yoga, flexibility training, or strength training, and then change up the order of those activities throughout the week. Make sure you add a rest day or two to allow ample recovery time for your tendons and ligaments.
Wear the proper shoes
If you don’t wear shoes specifically designed for the type of exercise you’re doing or the sport you’re playing, you increase your risk of injury. While some exercises or sports require more arch support, others may need ankle or heel support.
When in doubt, research the type of shoes you should wear for your exercise.
Don’t push through the pain
During any workout or sports activity, don’t ignore pain. Pain is your body’s way of signaling that something is wrong. Toughing it out could make any potential injury so much worse. So, even though it may not be fun, giving your body time to rest and recover will help you bounce back much faster and lessen your risk of serious injury.
If you have an injured tendon or ligament, don’t wait to seek professional treatment with Dr. Enty and our Genesis Pain and Regenerative Medicine team. Call or use our online booking feature to schedule an appointment today.