The Fitness Pilates Blog

What are Tendon Issues? Fitness Pilates Newsletter

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great one — and here we are… go time.

I’m continuing to explore really common health conditions that you’re likely to see a lot of this January, sharing clear, practical descriptionsalong with simple do’s and don’ts for teaching safely and confidently. Feel free to share these with your own groups and community.

Many common health conditions can be managed very well in a Fitness Pilates class — when taught appropriately.

As always:

Make sure you have an up-to-date PAR-Q
Carry out a verbal screening to understand where your client is at and how they’re currently managing their condition
If in any doubt, refer on
Build a trusted referral network around you — a local physio, osteopath, and sports massage therapist are invaluable

This week, let’s take a closer look at tendon problems.

What are tendon issues?

Tendon issues refer to problems affecting tendons, the strong connective tissues that attach muscle to bone. Their job is to transmit force so we can move, lift, walk, run, and stabilise joints.

Most long-term tendon problems are tendinopathy, not inflammation. This means the tendon has reduced load tolerance and altered structure, often due to overuse, under-loading, poor movement patterns, or sudden changes in activity.

Commonly affected tendons include the Achilles, patellar (knee), gluteal, hamstring, rotator cuff, and elbow tendons.

Who do tendon issues affect?

Tendon issues are extremely common and affect a wide range of people, including:

Active adults who train regularly
Walkers, runners, and gym-goers
Peri- and post-menopausal women (hormonal changes affect tendon health)
People returning to exercise after a break or injury
Desk-based workers with poor movement variability
Older adults (tendon stiffness and recovery capacity change with age)
People who do a lot of repetitive movement or load one area more than others

Many clients will arrive saying they’ve been told to “stretch it” or “rest it”, which often delays recovery.

The DOs of Fitness Pilates for tendon issues

DO:

Focus on slow, controlled strength work
Prioritise alignment, joint positioning, and control
Strengthen supporting muscles (hips, glutes, scapula, core)
Work in mid-range before progressing to end range
Educate clients that strength builds tendon resilience

The DON’Ts of Fitness Pilates for tendon issues

These are the most common mistakes instructors make.

DON’T:

Over-stretch painful tendons or hold long static stretches
Bounce, pulse, or force end-range positions
Push through sharp or increasing pain
Use high-rep fatigue work with poor control
Add sudden volume, intensity, or new exercises too quickly
Treat all tendon issues the same — location and stage matter

Stretching into pain does not heal tendons and often makes symptoms worse.

Key takeaway for instructor

Tendons need load, not rest — but the right kind of load.

Movements are slow and intentional
Loads are appropriate
Technique and progression are prioritised

For many clients, this is the missing link that helps them move from pain and fear back into confident, strong movement.

Let me know any conditions you have come across recently and any you would like me to cover in upcoming newsletters.

Did you miss last weeks newsletter click here to read it about going back to basics and documenting the history of Pilates and the original 34 exercises

Wishing you a fantastic new year

Love always

Rachel xx

If you’re interested in Reformer Teacher Training, either Fitness Pilates Reformer or the Level 3 Reformer Pilates (Group & One-to-One) qualification, we’re running face-to-face courses at the C2GO Studio on 22nd Jan & 23rd Jan. Full details are below.

If you’re considering adding Reformer to your teaching or studio offering, I also have a great contact for sourcing reformers — so please feel free to get in touch for a chat on 07976 268672

TRAIN TO TEACH

Train to teach Fitness Pilates see our next dates here