Beyond Strength Training: Why Tissue Tolerance is Crucial for Lifelong Fitness

Tissue tolerance is underrated. I’ve learned many things from training and working with clients for nearly two decades, and one that most people don’t consider is tissue tolerance. I was first forced to consider this capacity in 2014 when it felt like my body was falling apart from too much heavy training for several years straight. In addition to many other ailments, I was suffering from anterior ankle impingement, meaning I would get stabbing pain in the front of my ankle if I introduced any impact at all, especially after being at rest a while. If i got up from the couch after sitting awhile to chase toddler Miles for example; fuhgeddaboudit. It got so bad I could only wear hiking boots with tons of ankle support, at all times. Even walking barefoot became painful. The more impact and stress I took away, the more sensitive my ankle became. You can probably see where this is going.

I finally discovered the solution in a video for parkour enthusiasts, which I shared in this post. The punchline was, I needed to build back up my ankle’s tolerance to forces. By adding impact into my routine in small, controlled doses, I was able to get out of the boots and back to minimalist shoes. It’s been a decade now and my ankles are stronger than ever.

When we exercise, our tissue doesn’t just adapt by getting stronger or improving circulation and waste removal, it adapts to the stress demands we put on it. A lot of fitness routines overlook this small but critical detail. If you ride a bike and lift weights, for example, you might be in fantastic shape. At controlled, low impact movements. But play a game of tag with your kids (uncontrolled), or step off a curb wrong (high impact), and your knee or ankle might say; ‘sayonara, I didn’t sign up for this’.

This might be one of the reasons racket sports in particular seem to stand out as being beneficial for longevity and mortality risk. Not only are they fun and social, but they involve uncontrolled, high impact movements. This doesn’t mean I’m suggesting you go play 6 hours of tennis this weekend – you’ll wreck yourself for certain. I used to even restrict impacts in things like plyometrics with my clients to reduce tissue loading, until I learned more and thought about it. Just like you wouldn’t try to bench press 300 lbs your first day in the gym and you wouldn’t try to run a marathon your first time going out for a jog, improving tissue tolerance requires starting where you are, and improving slowly.

A 2019 study in the Journal of Biomechanics found that tissues adapt not just to the magnitude of force, but also to the rate of force application. This means that slow, controlled movements (like traditional weight training) don’t fully prepare us for the quick, unpredictable forces of real life.

Another study in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (2018) showed that gradually increasing impact forces in training can significantly improve bone density and joint health. Translation: those jarring movements we often avoid might be exactly what we need!

Building Your Body’s Resilience

So, how do we bridge this gap? Here are some strategies to boost your tissue tolerance:

1. Start Small: Don’t jump into high-impact activities overnight. Begin with low-level plyometrics or short bursts of more dynamic movements. Jump rope and jumping jacks are a great place to start for most people.
2. Progressively Overload: Just like with weights, gradually increase the intensity and volume of impact activities.
3. Vary Your Training: Include a mix of controlled and uncontrolled movements in your routine. I like to use lighter options in warm ups to get tissue warm and ready.
4. Embrace Unpredictability: Try sports or activities that require quick direction changes and reactive movements.
5. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how your tissues respond and adjust accordingly.

By incorporating these strategies, you can enhance your tissue tolerance, reducing injury risk and improving overall fitness.