Avoid These Tendon-Damaging Habits

Your tendons are tough yet elastic bands of tissue that attach your muscles to your bones, and you have around 4,000 of them all over your body, according to experts. Other than connecting muscles to bones, your tendons also make it possible for you to move your various joints.

Overuse of your tendons can leave it inflamed, which is something referred to as “tendonitis” by those in the medical community. It can cause a great deal of pain most especially when you attempt to move the joints to which the affected tendons are attached. As a result, the mobility of the joint is considerably reduced.

Jumper’s knee and tennis elbow are two examples of tendonitis. However, tendonitis can strike just about any joint in the body. It can also affect the ankles, shoulders, fingers, and wrists — and others where tendons are present.

There are everyday habits that can weaken the tendons, making them more susceptible to becoming achy and inflamed. Below are some of the things you should avoid to keep your tendons in tip-top shape:

Skipping Warm-Ups

Warming up not only prepares the muscles for exercise but also the tendons, thus making them less susceptible to becoming injured. Doing warmups is not only recommended prior to exercising or engaging in sports, but also before doing just about any strenuous physical activity that can cause a great deal of stress on your joints.

Lighting Up Cigarettes

Everyone knows that cigarette smoking is a habit that is bad for the lungs and heart. Not too many people know that smoking is also terrible for the tendons because your tendons require oxygen and nutrients in order to remain strong and healthy and to recuperate effectively from an injury. But when you smoke cigarettes, the supply of much-needed oxygen and nutrients to the tendons is diminished because it hampers proper blood circulation.

Dodging Rests

It’s important for you to regularly give your joints a break, most especially those that you repeatedly engage while working out or playing sports, or simply carrying out your job. Especially if your tendons are achy and swollen, resting them is vital. Otherwise, you are risking getting torn tendons which can only be repaired by surgery.

Leading a Sedentary Life

Too much, rest, however, is also bad for your tendons. It’s for the same reason why having a sedentary lifestyle can have your tendonitis risk considerably increased. Besides, being physically active is not only good for your tendons and joints but also your overall health and wellbeing.

Having Poor Eating Habits

Your tendons are mostly made up of collagen, which is something that is synthesized by your body with the help of vitamin C. It’s exactly for this reason why failure to add lots of vitamin C-rich foods to your diet on an everyday basis can make your tendons susceptible to getting injured and inflamed. Opting for a well-balanced diet also ensures that your tendons are supplied with all the other nutrients it needs, like manganese, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins.

Sourced from HealthDigezt