The Hidden Strength of Tendons and Ligaments

Using Slow Movement Practices Like Qigong and Tai Chi to Support Resilient Connective Tissue

By Anna Teeples

A Personal Discovery

For years, I dealt with recurring hip bursitis — the kind that sent me back to the doctor each year for a steroid shot just to keep moving comfortably. I tried strengthening my muscles, stretching more, resting more. Nothing stuck.

Then I began integrating qigong and tai chi into my routine. Slowly, something changed. The flare-ups became less frequent, then nearly disappeared. I no longer needed those shots. It wasn’t magic — but these gentle, mindful practices were giving my connective tissues the consistent, low-level care they had always needed and never received.

That experience sent me down a rabbit hole of research into the tissues we rarely talk about: our tendons and ligaments. What I found surprised me, and I think it might surprise you, too.

Why Tendons and Ligaments Matter

For many years, I thought strength meant muscles. Nearly every article about health and aging emphasizes strength training: strong legs, strong arms, a strong core. But the longer I study movement, the more I realize that some of the most important structures in the body are the ones we rarely talk about — our tendons and ligaments.

These unsung connective tissues link everything together. They stabilize our joints, transmit force through the body, and help us move with balance and coordination. When they are healthy, movement feels effortless. When they are not, we feel stiffness, instability, or pain. As we age, caring for these tissues becomes one of the most important things we can do.

The Body’s Quiet Support Network: Tendons and Ligaments

What Are Tendons and Ligaments?

Tendons connect muscles to bones, transmitting the force created by muscles so that joints can move. Think of tendons as biological springs. As you walk or climb stairs, they stretch slightly to store energy, then release it to help propel the next movement.

Ligaments connect bones to other bones, helping stabilize joints and guide their movement so they don’t twist or bend too far in the wrong direction.

Both are made primarily of strong collagen fibers, giving them the ability to withstand tension while still allowing a small amount of flexibility. Together, tendons and ligaments form an essential support network that enables coordinated, stable movement throughout the body.

The Suspension Bridge Analogy

Understanding how these tissues work can be easier with a simple analogy. One way to think about tendons and ligaments is to imagine a suspension bridge. The roadway carries the traffic, but it isn’t what makes the bridge strong. The real strength comes from the cables and supports that distribute forces throughout the structure.

Suspension Bridge: Golden Gate in San Francisco

In a suspension bridge, the cables tighten and release slightly as forces move through the structure — much like a spring. In the body, muscles generate movement, while tendons act like cables and ligaments like stabilizers. They transmit force, support the joints, and keep everything aligned. When these connective tissues are healthy, movement feels stable and efficient. When they weaken, the entire system becomes less resilient.

Three Common Myths About Tendons and Ligaments

How Tendons and Ligaments Vary from Person to Person

Individual differences in connective tissue and joint structure also affect how our bodies move. Part of this reflects the natural anatomy we’re born with, while part evolves through how we move and train throughout our lives. When performing a deep squat, the ankle must bend forward while the heel stays on the ground. If the calf muscles and Achilles tendon do not lengthen enough, the body compensates by lifting the heel. This is why some people naturally squat with their heels down while others cannot — and neither is doing it “wrong.” These kinds of differences show how connective tissues reflect both natural anatomy and long-term movement patterns—one reason slow, consistent practices can gradually improve how the body moves.

We’ve all met someone who seems “double-jointed,” able to bend their thumb or elbow farther than most people. This usually reflects differences in ligament flexibility that allow greater joint range of motion.

One remarkable fact: the Achilles tendon can experience forces up to 6–8 times your body weight during running or jumping. Despite being only about the thickness of a finger, this tendon functions like an incredibly strong biological cable, transmitting force between the calf muscles and the heel bone.

Qigong and Tendon Conditioning

Many qigong practices emphasize slow, sustained positions. Practitioners often spend time in standing postures, gently expanding the arms, or holding positions through the legs while maintaining relaxed structural alignment. Although these movements appear quiet and effortless from the outside, they create a subtle but continuous tension through the body’s connective tissue chains.

This kind of low-level, sustained loading — what researchers call “isometric tension” (the tissue is under gentle stress without movement) — can be highly beneficial for tendons and ligaments. Over time, it encourages gradual adaptation, supports collagen rebuilding, improves joint stability, and builds endurance in the connective tissues that support our movements.

One way to think about this: qigong slowly strengthens the body’s internal “cable system.” Rather than relying on great muscular effort, the practice encourages the connective tissues to participate more fully in supporting posture and movement.

Tai Chi and Dynamic Tendon Loading

Tai chi, while also slow and controlled, tends to rely more on continuous movement rather than static holding. The practice involves shifting weight from one leg to the other, rotating through the hips and spine, and moving the arms in coordinated patterns that connect the entire body.

This creates a different type of stimulus for the tendons. Instead of sustained tension, tai chi repeatedly loads and unloads the connective tissues through movement. Tendons stretch slightly during these transitions and then recoil as the movement continues — training them to function more like springs, storing and releasing energy with each step.

This dynamic loading can improve movement efficiency, enhance balance responses, and help coordinate force transmission through the body’s connective tissue network.

The Key Difference

If you’re wondering which practice might suit you, here’s a simple way to think about the difference:

In practice, both approaches complement one another. Qigong helps develop sustained structural support through the connective tissues, while tai chi trains those tissues to transmit and recycle energy through movement. Together, they provide a balanced approach to maintaining resilient tendons and ligaments over time.

What the Research Tells Us

Research on tendon adaptation helps explain why slow, controlled loading can be beneficial for connective tissue health .A review by Bohm, Mersmann, and Arampatzis (2015) examined how human tendons respond to mechanical loading. Their findings showed that tendons are not passive structures — they can adapt and strengthen when exposed to consistent stress. Over time, appropriate loading can lead to improvements in tendon stiffness, structural organization of collagen fibers (the body’s way of rebuilding stronger tissue), and the tendon’s ability to transmit force more efficiently.

The review also highlighted that tendons respond best to slow, sustained loading rather than rapid or explosive movement. These changes occur gradually, often requiring several weeks or months of consistent practice — which is exactly the kind of regularity that a tai chi or qigong practice naturally builds.

Additional research summarized by Magnusson and Kjaer (2019) indicates that aging can affect tendon elasticity and collagen structure. However, connective tissues remain responsive to appropriate loading at any age, meaning consistent movement and gentle strengthening can help maintain tendon resilience well into later life.

Supporting Your Connective Tissues Beyond Movement

While movement is one of the most important ways to support tendon and ligament health, other lifestyle factors also play a role. Adequate protein, vitamin C, hydration, sleep, and good circulation all contribute to the body’s ability to maintain and repair connective tissues over time.

Tendons are remarkably durable structures, but because they receive less blood flow than muscles, they often require more time to recover from strain or injury. Consistent, moderate movement — especially the slow, controlled kind — is one of the most effective ways you can support them.

Closing Thoughts

Muscles may receive most of the attention when we talk about strength, but tendons and ligaments provide the hidden framework that allows our bodies to move efficiently and safely. By caring for these connective tissues through consistent movement, thoughtful training, and supportive lifestyle habits, we help maintain the resilience that supports us throughout life.

If you’ve been curious about qigong or tai chi, this might be the moment to explore. You don’t need special equipment, a high level of fitness, or prior experience. Just a willingness to move slowly, pay attention, and show up consistently. Your tendons and ligaments will thank you. By moving slowly, consistently, and with awareness, we give these often-overlooked tissues the care they need to keep us moving well for years to come.

Research References

Bohm, S., Mersmann, F., & Arampatzis, A. (2015). Human tendon adaptation in response to mechanical loading. Sports Medicine.

Magnusson, S. P., & Kjaer, M. (2019). Tendon properties in relation to muscular activity and aging. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 29(4), 520–531.

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Golden Gate Bridge Photography by Josh Kahen on Unsplash