Most of us were taught to think of the body in fairly mechanical terms. The skeleton, we’re told, is the frame. It is solid, dependable, and holds everything upright. While muscles simply attach to it and pull the levers to create movement. It’s a tidy, logical picture. But like many tidy explanations, it may be a little too simple.

A growing perspective in movement science, often referred to as biotensegrity, invites us to look at the body in a completely different way. Biotensegrity is a combination of three words: ‘bio’ for biological, as this framework includes all living things, and the rest of the word (tensegrity) is a portmanteau of tension and integrity. Rather than seeing the skeleton as a rigid structure propping us up, this model suggests something far more dynamic: that it is actually the tension of our muscles and connective tissues that holds us together, with the bones acting more like floating supports than fixed pillars.

It’s a subtle shift in thinking, but once you see it, it changes everything.

In the traditional view, the body is often compared to a building. The bones are the steel framework, stacked and stable, and the muscles are the engines that move this structure around. Posture, in this model, is largely about aligning the bones correctly; stacking them neatly so that everything stays balanced.

But the biotensegrity view paints a more fluid picture. Imagine instead a tent. The poles don’t stand up on their own. Rather, they rely entirely on the tension of the ropes pulling in multiple directions to stay upright. Remove that tension, and the structure collapses, no matter how strong the poles might be.

In this analogy, your muscles, fascia, and connective tissues are the ropes, which are constantly adjusting, pulling, and balancing forces throughout the body. Your bones, rather than being the primary support, act as compression elements which are held in place within this web of tension.

This means that posture isn’t just about stacking bones; it’s about balancing forces.

And this has some rather interesting implications for how we think about strength.

If the body is indeed a tensional network, then strength isn’t simply about individual muscles becoming bigger or stronger in isolation. It’s about how well the entire system can distribute and manage tension. It’s coordination, integration, and responsiveness just as much as it is raw power.

This helps explain why movement quality matters so much. Two people might be equally “strong” in a traditional sense, but the one with better coordination and tissue balance will often move more efficiently, feel more stable, and be less prone to injury.

It also sheds light on the role of fascia, which is the connective tissue that weaves through the entire body. Once thought of as little more than packing material, fascia is now understood to play a crucial role in transmitting force, maintaining structure, and linking distant parts of the body together. In a biotensegrity model, it becomes an essential part of the system, not an afterthought.

From a practical point of view, this perspective encourages a more holistic approach to training and movement. Rather than focusing solely on isolated exercises, there’s value in movements that engage the body as a whole using patterns that require balance, coordination, and control. Think of carrying, reaching, twisting, stabilising. These are real-world actions that reflect how the body actually functions.

It also invites us to reconsider how we think about tension itself. We often associate tension with stiffness or strain, something to be avoided. But in the right amounts, and in the right places, tension is what gives the body its integrity. The goal isn’t to eliminate tension, but to distribute it well.

Too little, and the system becomes unstable. Too much, or poorly organised, and it becomes rigid and inefficient.

Somewhere in the middle lies resilience.

Interestingly, this idea loops back to the broader theme of mind and body connection. A well-regulated nervous system plays a key role in how tension is managed. Stress, fatigue, and emotional strain can all influence muscle tone and coordination, subtly altering how forces are distributed throughout the body. Once again, we see that nothing operates in isolation.

The more we explore these ideas, the clearer it becomes that the body is less like a machine and more like a living network which is adaptive, responsive, and deeply interconnected.

So perhaps the next time you think about strength, it’s worth expanding the definition. Not just the ability to lift or push, but the ability to organise tension, to stabilise, to adapt, providing a quiet kind of intelligence within the body that keeps everything working together, which Professor Emeritus of Biology at Duke University alludes to in his quote at the top of this newsletter.

Because in the end, it may not be the bones that hold us up, but the relationships between everything that surrounds them. A structure not of rigid parts, but of constant, dynamic balance.

If you would like help with your strength training and improving that dynamic balance, I’d love to be able to help you, even if you have never done any before. It is never too late to start! Click the gold button below to get a chat in the diary.