One of the wonderful complexities of the human body is the way in which all of our tissues have their own unique properties, designed to handle specific loading demands, and support the body through movement, in different ways. Whether we consider this consciously or not, all our tissues are constantly adapting in accordance with the ways in which we move and load our bodies, whether it's by increasing load tolerance in response to challenge, or losing capacity due to insufficient load. This short talk discusses muscle, tendon and bone tissue, and provides an introductory overview of the mechanical properties of each, the stimuli through which strength is maintained and increased, and the timelines over which these adaptations occur. We'll also discuss how the yoga practice can support the health of our various tissues, as well as scenarios where more significant or specific adaptations are needed and we need to look to other modalities to encourage greater tissue resilience and strength.

References:
• Achilles Tendons Hypertrophy in Response to High Loading Training, Milgrom et al 2014
• The effect of eccentric and concentric calf muscle training on Achilles tendon stiffness, Morrissey et al, 2010
• High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial, Watson et al 2017